The play of Oakland University women’s basketball team has turned many heads in the Summit League Tournament in Sioux Falls this week. With convincing wins over No. 1 Oral Roberts and No. 5 Southern Utah the past two days, the Golden Grizzlies have punched their ticket to the conference finals.

Oakland will face third-seeded South Dakota State, which defeated the Grizzlies in the 2009 championship game, and will have the benefit of a decidedly pro-Jackrabbits crowd at the Sioux Falls Arena.

The championship game tilt begins at 4 p.m. EST and will be televised on ESPNU.

The Jackrabbits defeated No. 2 IPFW, 70-67, in the semifinals and are 8-0 all-time in the tournament since joining the conference. SDSU is the two-time defending champion.

The Grizzlies split the season series with SDSU, with each team winning on the other team’s court.

The winner of Tuesday’s final will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament later this month. The Grizzlies last qualified for the national tournament in 2006.

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Follow @DanFenner on Twitter for updates and analysis throughout the tournament March 5-8.