VERMILLION, S.D. -- Sophomore forward Vanessa Yanez had 17 points and four rebounds to lead the South Dakota women's basketball team (14-9, 2-6 NCC) to an 81-71 win over Minnesota State, Mankato (8-13, 2-6 NCC) in North Central Conference basketball on Friday at the DakotaDome before 1,843 in attendance.

Overall, USD had five players score in double figures, including a career-best 10 points from sophomore forward Erica Schroeder (Miller, S.D.). Yanez (Wagner, S.D.) hit 7-of-10 field goals, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. She also recorded a pair of steals. Senior forward Kayla Jacobs (Watertown, S.D.) also played a key role by scoring 11 of her season-high 13 points in the opening half. Jacobs was 3-of-5 from three-point range. USD also received 12 points from both Brittany Bessert (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Ashley Robinette (South Sioux City, Neb.). Meghan Woster (Sioux Falls, S.D.), contributed six points, four assists and six rebounds.

Minnesota State was led by a career-high 20 points from Alanna Wahl, who hit 7-of-13 shots, including 3-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc. Stacie Johnson added 17 points and four assists for Minnesota State.

With the win, South Dakota stopped a six-game losing spin in the NCC and tied MSU for sixth place in the NCC. The victory was USD head coach Chad Lavin's 200th victory at South Dakota. Overall he is 200-111 at USD.

Also for South Dakota Jenni Flynn (South Sioux City, Neb.) had a team-high seven rebounds and added six points. She also extended her school-record streak for consecutive free throws to 31 on the season.

Two baskets by USD's Schroeder, with the second coming at the 11:33 mark of the first half, gave USD a 13-7 lead. A three-pointer by Jacobs extended the Coyote lead to 20-7 at the 10:14 mark. But MSU rebounded as a three-point basket by Wahl cut USD's lead to 25-17 at the 5:08 mark. Jacobs hit another three to give USD a 33-23 lead with 3:05 left in the half. MSU rebounded and Johnson's lay-up at the 1:50 mark cut the lead to 33-29. Then, Jacobs hit another three-pointer to build the lead to 36-29 at the 1:36 mark of the half. A lay-up by Schroeder with one second to play allowed USD to take a 38-31 lead into halftime.

In the first half, USD hit 15-of-31 field goals for 48.4 percent, including 5-of-12 from three-point range for 41.7 percent. USD has made 3-of-4 shots from the foul line. Jacobs totaled 11 points, knocking down 4-of-5 field goals including 3-of-4 from three-point range. Yanez scored nine points, hitting 4-of-6 field goals. Schroeder had eight points. MSU hit 11-of-25 field goals for 44 percent, including 2-of-8 from three-point range in the first half. MSU made 7-of-8 free throws. MSU, which owned a 17-14 rebound advantage, was led in scoring by Wahl with nine points and three assists. Stacie Johnson had eight points.

After Wahl hit a three-pointer to cut the USD lead to 38-34 at the 19:09 mark of the second half, USD gradually built a double-figure lead. A jumper by Jacobs gave USD a 50-37 lead with 15:30 to play in the game. Once again, MSU rebounded as Hanna Stolba of MSU had consecutive three-point baskets to cut USD's lead to 52-45 with 13:35 to play.

USD again built a double digit lead as a lay-up by Robinette provided USD with a 59-47 lead at the 10:16 mark. A little later Yanez made a lay-up and hit a free throw after being fouled as USD grabbed a 64-49 with 8:20 to play.

MSU responded by going on a 17-5 run over the next five minutes to cut USD's lead to 69-66 with 3:30 to play. That was as close as the Mavericks would get as USD used its strong free throw shooting to put the game away. USD proceeded to 12 straight free throws as Bessert hit six straight free throws while Flynn, Woster and Schroeder all had a pair of charity tosses in the final 2:22. Overall, USD made 18-of-21 free throws in the game.

USD won the battle in the paint, outscoring MSU 38 to 26, and also held a 32 to 19 advantage in bench points. Another key for USD was its post defense, limited MSU center Arin Andrew to two points after she had scored 25 points in MSU's 75-74 last second win in Mankato, Minn., on Jan. 29.

Overall, USD made 28-of-53 field goals for 52.8 percent, including 7-of-18 from three-point range. MSU made 23-of-57 field goals for 40.4 percent and hit 8-of-22 from the three-point line for 36.4 percent. MSU was also accurate at the charity stripe, making 17-of-21 for 81 percent. MSU won the rebound battle, 32-30.

Next for South Dakota is an NCC encounter with St. Cloud State (17-7, 4-5 NCC) on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the DakotaDome. St. Cloud State defeated UNO, 78-72, in Omaha, Neb., on Friday night.