The Summit League's auto-bid is on the line on Tuesday night when the North Dakota State Bison take on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the conference championship. The two teams split their regular season match-ups, with each winning on its own home court.
Summit League Tournament 2013 Championship: South Dakota State looking for second straight NCAA Tournament bid
An NCAA Tournament bid is on the line Tuesday night when North Dakota State and South Dakota State do battle in the Summit League final. South Dakota State is the defending Summit champion, after defeating Western Illinois in last year’s title game.
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Entering this game, the star of the show is South Dakota State guard Nate Wolters. The senior finished the regular season as the nation's fourth leading scorer, averaging 22.5 points per game, including a 53-point effort against IPFW back on Feb. 7. Wolters scored 26 points in the last matchup between these two clubs on Jan. 26, which resulted in a 16-point Jackrabbits win.
Meanwhile, for North Dakota State to advance to their first NCAA Tournament since 2009, they will rely on a more balanced scoring attack. The Bison have five players who average at least eight points per game.
Included in that group is forward Taylor Braun, who averaged a team-high 15.3 points per game this season. Braun missed the Jan. 26 game against South Dakota State with an injury, but scored 11 points in the team's first matchup on Dec. 29. In that victory, forward Marshall Bjorklund added 20 points and five rebounds for the Bison.
Should South Dakota State notch the win Tuesday night, it will mark their second straight Summit League title. Last season the Jackrabbits beat Western Illinois, 52-50, in overtime, before losing to Baylor in the NCAA Tournament.
Game time, TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN
Location: Sioux Falls Arena, Sioux Falls, SD
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