OREM, Utah -- Amber Hegge and Annie Roche combined for 41 points to lead The University of South Dakota to a 65-56 win over Utah Valley in Great West Conference women's basketball Thursday night in Orem, Utah.

Hegge (So., Crofton, Neb.) scored 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting while adding 10 rebounds (seven offensive) for her fourth double-double of 2009-10. Roche (So., Vermillion, S.D.) scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Abby Kinder (Jr., Granger, Ind.) added 12 points for the Coyotes.

Hegge also had six assists and four blocks to lead USD in both categories.

In addition, USD's defense held Utah Valley's Julie Smith, the GWC's leading scorer at 16.6 points per game, to just two points in the game on 1-of-7 shooting.

With the game tied at 28-28 at halftime, USD began pulling away early in the second half.

USD opened the half on an 11-3 run, which included four points each from Roche and Jasmine Mosley (Sr., Bellevue, Neb.) and three from Hegge, to take a 39-31 lead with 12:46 left.

Utah Valley cut the lead to 41-35, but five straight points from Roche - which included a three-pointer and a layup - pushed the USD lead to 46-35 with nine minutes left.

The Coyotes built their biggest lead, 55-43, after Kara Iverson (Sr., Yankton, S.D.) drained a three-pointer with 5:21 left.

After Utah Valley cut the deficit to 57-50, Kinder delivered big with a three-pointer with two minutes left to extend the USD lead back to double digits at 60-50. The Wolverines (4-16, 0-3 GWC) never got closer than six the rest of the way.

USD scored the first eight points of the game as Roche scored five points and Kinder drained a three. That was part of a 13-2 game-opening run over the first eight minutes for USD.

Hegge scored five points during that opening spurt, including hitting a three-pointer.

The Wolverines erased the early deficit, however and came back to take a 24-22 lead with 4:47 left after a Jenna Johnson three-pointer. The game stayed close for the rest of the first half, as USD tied the score at 28-28 in the closing seconds on a Roche layup.

Hegge had a big first half for USD with 11 points and six rebounds. Roche added nine points, while Iverson had five. Hegge had three blocks and three assists to lead USD.

USD shot 46.2 percent (12-of-26) in the first half, compared to 8-of-26 (30.8 percent) for Utah Valley. The Coyotes had a huge 16-2 edge in points in the paint during the first 20 minutes. USD shot an identical 46.2 percent (12-of-26) in the second half, compared to 36 percent for UVU.

Iverson finished with eight points and six rebounds for USD. Jamie Young (Jr., Great Falls, Mon.) had five rebounds off the bench. Kinder paced USD with three steals.

The Coyotes' next action is Saturday at Great West Conference rival North Dakota. Game time is 5 p.m. at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.

Notes: It was the first meeting ever between the two schools in women's basketball. The rematch will take place on Feb. 18 in Vermillion, S.D...USD is just one game behind North Dakota and Texas-Pan American in the race for the lead in the Great West...Roche has averaged 13 points per game over the Coyotes' last 10 games.