VERMILLION, S.D.— It all boils down to the final weekend of play. And, in storybook fashion, the three teams still in contention for the North Central Conference basketball championship play for the title this weekend in Vermillion's DakotaDome.
 
North Dakota State, a game behind and in third place, meets second-place South Dakota at 5:45 p.m. Friday; while league-leading North Dakota visits at 5:45 p.m. Saturday. If North Dakota wins, the Sioux win the title outright. If USD wins both contests, the Coyotes capture the crown. If NDSU is victorious on Friday and South Dakota wins on Saturday, there would be a three-way tie for first and the title would be decided by a vote of the three remaining three coaches. Should that occur and the vote end in a tie, it would all come down to a flip of a coin.
 
"It will be one heckuva weekend," exclaims USD coach Chad Lavin. "UND and NDSU are playing well and both picked up momentum with big victories last week in Omaha. Our women will be coming off a week of tests. I just hope they can respond to the challenge."
 
Lavin is expected to utilize sophomores Katie Dailey (6.4 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game, 181 assists, 96 steals) and Ann Pancoast (17.7, 5.6, 76 assists, 52 steals) at the starting guards. Sophomore Robin Schamber (5.3, 5.3) and junior Karrie Wallen (14.9, 6.5, 72 assists) at the forwards, with senior Pam Olerich (11.0, 6.0) at center. Top reserves include senior Carol Finley (6.3, 5.6), freshman Mitzie Frericks (6.0, 4.6) and junior Michelle Woodard (5.0, 2.7, 74 assists).
 
South Dakota, 17-8 overall and 5-3 in NCC, enters the weekend with the league's top two scorers. Pancoast is averaging 17.3 points in NCC play, while Wallen adds 15.8. In addition, Olerich, at 12.5, is seventh. Dailey owns the assists title and needs just eight steals to capture that crown as well. Wallen (8.3) is fifth in rebounding; while Schamber (.571), Olerich (.539) and Finley (.500) are third, fourth and sixth in field goal accuracy.
 
USD ranks second in both offense (68.2) and defense (60.0). The Coyotes trail scoring leader Augustana by 1.2 points per average. Nebraska-Omaha owns a 0.1 defensive advantage over USD. The Coyotes lead the league in field goal shooting (.462) and assists (18.3).