News

A single-game scoring record highlights this week’s Road to Sioux Falls and the Summit League men’s and women’s basketball championships.

Oral Roberts junior Keni Jo Lippe poured in 46 points at North Dakota State this past Sunday.

That outburst breaks record held by another ORU star, Kevi Luper, who had 44 in a non-conference game in 2009.

Lippe’s 46 is single-game high in all of Division One women’s basketball so far this season.

ORU won that game at NDSU, by the way, and ORU has won three of its last four.

Meanwhile, South Dakota has won 11 of its last 11.

The last loss for the Coyote women was at #1 South Carolina back in December in USD’s last game before the Summit League season started. The Yotes have run it since then … 11 straight Ws in the league. The latest is a 47-point win at North Dakota and South Dakota’s margin of victory in league games is still a ridiculous 36 points per game.

So … it’s the Yotes at 11-0, the Jackrabbits at 10-1. USD plays at SDSU on February 22^nd.

Western Illinois in 3^rd, Oral Roberts 4^th and North Dakota in 5^th place at the moment.

North Dakota State lost its first four league games, but the Bison have gone 4-3 since.

Denver is hanging on to 7^th place. The Pioneers play at South Dakota State on Thursday.

Omaha and Purdue-Fort Wayne are still battling at the bottom. They do play each other one more time in the regular season.

Meanwhile…

It is a 2-way tie at the top in the men’s race.

North Dakota State and Vinnie Shahid are on a run.

The Bison with wins at Omaha and then at home against Oral Roberts.

Shahid with 24 at Omaha and then a season-high 31 against ORU.

He is averaging 24 a game in his last five – and NDSU has won all five of those games.

NDSU is at 9-2 in league play and tied with South Dakota State.

The Jacks are home this week against Denver and Purdue-Fort Wayne.

SDSU and NDSU still play each other in the last game of the regular season.

South Dakota, remember, lost the first two league games, but the Yotes have gone 8-1 since.

USD still has games against the league leaders coming up … at home against North Dakota State and on the road against South Dakota State.

Four teams are all jammed up the middle right now, with Western Illinois hanging on to the 8-spot. The Leathernecks are at home against Oral Roberts on Saturday.

Denver needs a win, but the Pioneers have a tough road trip this weekend with stops at SDSU on Thursday and at Omaha on Sunday.