WAYNE, NEB. -
Jeana Hoffman hit a game-winning three-point basket with eight seconds to play as
The University of South Dakota women's basketball team rallied for a 66-65 win over Wayne State College on Sunday afternoon at Rice Auditorium Wayne, Neb. The Coyotes trailed 65-62 with 50 seconds to play but scored the final four points of the game to pick up its 12th win of the season.
The Coyotes, who are ranked 19th in NCAA Division II, won their 10th straight game to improve to 12-1 on the season. The Wildcats dropped to 10-3 on the season. The last time USD won 10 consecutive games was during the 2003-04 season when the Coyotes opened 15-1 and had a 14-game winning streak. USD defeated Wayne State for the seventh straight time, including one-point wins in three of the past four games. South Dakota ended WSC's 13-game winning streak at Rice Auditorium. USD's 12-1 start is the fourth-best in school history.
Hoffman (Sr., Mitchell, S.D.) led the Coyotes with 17 points, including four 3-point field goals. Hoffman, who reached double-digits for the 13th straight time this season, also had four rebounds, two steals and two assists. Jenna Hoffman (Jr., Mitchell, S.D.) added 16 points with nine rebounds and a career-high seven assists. Ashley Robinette (Sr., South Sioux City, Neb.) scored 12 points with four rebounds and a steal. Bridget Yoerger (Jr., Hinton, S.D.) had a game-high 10 rebounds. USD also received a big boost off the bench from freshman forward Amber Hegge (Crofton, Neb.), who scored 11 points and a career-high eight rebounds. The Coyotes struggled shooting from the field with a season-low 36.1 percent (22-of-61). South Dakota made just 8-of-25 three-point shots for 32 percent and converted 14-of-20 free throws for 70 percent.
The Wildcats were led by Teresa Case with 15 points while Andrea Schoepf and Kylee McGill each scored 11 points. McGill led WSC with nine rebounds. Wayne State made 39.7 percent from the field on 23-of-58 shooting. The Wildcats were hot from three-point range by making 11-of-19 shots for 57.9 percent. They were 8-of-9 from the free throw line.
South Dakota jumped to a 5-0 lead after Jeana Hoffman hit a three-pointer at the 18:57 mark of the first half. Wayne State responded with a 7-0 run to take a two-point lead at the 16:53 mark. With the score deadlocked at 16-16, Wayne State used an 8-2 run to take a 24-18 lead with 4:49 to play in the opening half. The Wildcats extended the lead to 27-20 with 4:05 to play on a three-point shot by Case. USD responded with a 5-0 run to draw within 27-25 at the 2:10 mark. Wayne State built the lead to 32-27 at the halftime break.
Early in the second half, Wayne State took its largest lead of the game after McGill made a lay-up for a 39-31 advantage with 17:49 left in the game. Down 43-35, the Coyotes outscored the Wildcats, 10-2, to draw even (45-45) at the 12:02 mark after Jenna Hoffman converted a three-point play on a drive to the basket and a free throw. A three-point shot by Robinette provided USD with a 50-48 lead at the 9:35 mark of the second half. The basket by Robinette provided USD with its first lead since midway through the opening half.
Gradually, Wayne State again built a lead, taking a 58-52 advantage at the 5:51 mark. At that point, the Coyotes took off on another 10-2 run to regain the lead at 62-60 with 3:31 left in the game. Hegge's three-point shot provided USD with the lead. Wayne State answered that charge by scoring the next five points of the game for a 65-62 lead with just 1:10 to play in the game. After USD's Jasmine Mosley (So., Bellevue, Neb.) made 1-of-2 free throws with 50 seconds left in the game, the Coyotes forced Wayne State into a turnover which set up Jeana Hoffman's late game heroics.
South Dakota will return to action at noon on Monday when they host Chadron State at the DakotaDome.
