South Dakota State will play for its fifth Summit League Women's Championship in five years after using a distinct height advantage to beat Fort Wayne in the semifinals, 86-59.

The Jackrabbits went to work down low early and often, with their first seven baskets coming from inside the paint, while forcing eight Mastodon turnovers early.

SDSU set a blistering shooting pace, hitting 13-of-17 in the first 11 minutes (78%) to lead 29-12 with 9:00 to play in the first after a 21-5 run.

Erin Murphy single-handedly kept the Mastodons in the game in the first half, scoring Fort Wayne's first nine points.

The Jacks ended the half with a 32-10 advantage on points in the paint, a 16-8 edge on the boards, five players with six points or more, and a 46-29 lead.

After hitting 14 three-pointers in a win over Western Illinois in the quarterfinals, the Mastodons were ice cold from behind the arc, just 5-for-22 on three-pointers.

Gabby Boever led a strong defensive effort for SDSU, with four steals.  As a team, the Jacks racked up 13 steals.

Fort Wayne's Amanda Hyde, the Summit League Player of the Year, was limited to 3-for-11 shooting for 15 points.  Her playing time was limited in the second half with four fouls.

The win is the 14th straight for the Jackrabbits in the Summit League Tournament.  SDSU goes for its fifth straight title Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 against either South Dakota or IUPUI.

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