VERMILLION, S.D. (Nov. 29, 2004)--In the home opener of the 2004-05 season, the 18th-ranked South Dakota women's basketball team (4-1) defeated Dakota Wesleyan (1-9), 88-51, at the DakotaDome in impressive fashion.

The Coyotes benefited from 23 Tiger turnovers by turning them into 24 points, pouncing on DWU with 36 points in the paint and holding Dakota Wesleyan to just 17 field goals in the game (56 attempts).

DWU did manage to keep the game close in the first 10 minutes of the ball game and held three leads, but none were greater than four points which came at the 12:39 mark of the first half, when Kara Overweg connected on a three-pointer.

Meghan Woster (Sioux Falls, S.D.) answered with a lay-up and then following a Tiger turnover, Vanessa Yanez (Wagner, S.D.) answered back with a three of her own to put the Coyotes up, 17-16.

Overweg hit a pair of free throws to give the Tigers their last lead of the game, 18-17, at 11:12.

South Dakota proceeded to go on a 22-0 run over the next 10 minutes to put the game well out of reach. The run was fueled by eight of Jenni Flynn's (South Sioux City, Neb.) 12 points, all of which came in the first half.

USD led 45-23 at intermission, thanks in part to 51.7% (15-of-29) field goal shooting in the first half.

The second half was more of the same with hot shooting and tough defense by the Coyotes, who extended their lead to as many as 40 on multiple occasions.

As a team, USD shot 52.4% (33-of-63) from the field, including 11-of-26 (42.3%) from three-point land. The Coyotes also made 73.3% (11-of-15) of their free throws and outrebounded DWU, 45-31.

Yanez led USD with 16 points and nine rebounds, both of which were game-highs. She made three of four from behind the three-point line.

Freshman Ashley Robinette (South Sioux City, Neb.) came off the bench and was one of four Coyotes in double figures as she had career-high 15 points. Brittany Bessert (Fort Collins, Colo.) added 14 points for USD.

Woster finished the night one point short of a double double as she dished out 10 assists to go with her nine points. It was the second straight game Woster recorded double figures in assists, as she had 11 in South Dakota's win over Chadron State at the UNO Thanksgiving Classic last weekend (Nov. 27).

Dakota Wesleyan finished the night, 17-of-56 (30.4%) from the field, making only 4-of-19 (21.1%) from behind the arc. The Tigers did sink 13-of-18 (72.2%) free throws.

Kelly Haiar led DWU with 11 points, while Abbey DeWolf scored 10. DeWolf and Tacey Nielsen each had five rebounds for the Tigers.

The Coyotes will play host to Wayne State (Neb.) and Southwest Minnesota State in the South Dakota Classic, Dec. 3-4, in the DakotaDome. Both games are scheduled for 4 p.m.