FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Colorado State rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to record a 52-47 win over The University of South Dakota in nonconference women's basketball Saturday in Fort Collins, Colo.

The Rams (8-5) beat the Coyotes (5-5) in a close game for a second straight year, as USD lost by one in Fort Collins in Jan. 2009.

USD, which was without leading scorer Amber Hegge (So., Crofton, Neb.) for all but five minutes because of illness, fought hard to the final buzzer against their foes from the Mountain West Conference.

Abby Kinder (Jr., Granger, Ind.) led USD with 15 points. Annie Roche (So., Vermillion, S.D.) added 14, while Kara Iverson (Sr., Yankton, S.D.) collected eight.

USD held a 29-21 lead at halftime but endured a cold start to the second half as Colorado State cut the lead to 31-28 with 13:46 left in the contest. The Coyotes managed just five points over the first nine minutes of the second half, hitting two of their first 13 field goal attempts.

USD's Jasmine Mosley (Sr., Bellevue, Neb.) converted a three-point play to push the USD lead back to 34-28 with 12:42 left.

The Rams went on a 13-2 run to take a 41-36 lead with 7:32 left, forcing a Coyote timeout. After the timeout, Kinder delivered a big response with a three-pointer to cut the lead to 41-39.

Colorado State scored three straight points to take a 44-39 lead, but four straight points from Kinder brought USD within 44-43 with 1:26 left.

After a pair of free throws by Zoi Simmons, USD had a chance to tie, but a three-pointer by Sam Mehr (Fr., Apple Valley, Minn.) wouldn't fall with 27 seconds left. Two more free throws by Simmons pushed the lead to 48-43 with 25 seconds left, but USD crept back within two at 48-46 after Kinder drained another three-pointer.

The Coyotes got no closer than three the rest of the way as the Rams hit four more free throws in the final half-minute to secure a five-point win.

Jamie Young (Jr., Great Falls, Mont.) and Iverson had seven rebounds each for USD.

Teresa Case (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) added three assists, while Case and Roche and two steals. Kinder had the lone block for USD.

USD jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first minute, thanks to three-pointers from Kinder and Annie Roche. The game was close for much of the rest of the first half before USD made a crucial late run to take an eight-point lead into halftime.

With the Rams leading 19-18 with four minutes left in the opening frame, USD went on an 11-2 run to take a 29-21 lead into the break.

Iverson hit two big 3-pointers during that stretch and added another basket to account for eight of USD's 11 points during that run.

USD's defense was superb in the first half, holding Colorado State to just 25 percent shooting (7-of-28), including 11.1 percent (1-of-9) from three-point range. Roche paced USD with nine points in the first half, while Iverson had eight and Kinder seven. Young provided excellent play off the bench, scoring five points in 14 minutes of play.

Roche, who played all 40 minutes, finished 7-of-9 from the free-throw line and also had five rebounds and two assists.

The Coyotes resume action Tuesday, Jan. 5 at Big 12 power Iowa State. Game time is 7 p.m. in Ames, Iowa.