Cedar Falls, Iowa -- Junior Amber Hegge scored a career-high 32 points, but it wasn't enough as the South Dakota women's basketball team fell to Northern Iowa, 73-64 in nonconference play Tuesday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Hegge (Crofton, Neb.) hit 12-of-18 field goals and 6-of-6 free throws in the loss for the Coyotes (5-5) while also collecting eight rebounds. Freshman forward Stacia Robertson (Grand Island, Neb.) added 10 points off the bench for South Dakota.

South Dakota was down by as many as 13 in the first half and trailed 32-24 at halftime. The Coyotes cut the gap early in the second half, thanks to Hegge, who had 22 points in the second frame alone.

The Coyotes opened the second half by scoring six of the first seven points - with Hegge accounting for four - to cut the UNI lead to 33-30 with 18:23 left in the second half.

The Panthers, an NCAA tournament qualifier in 2009-10, answered with a 9-2 run to build the lead to 43-32 with 13:56 left.

South Dakota didn't go away. The Coyotes cut the lead to 57-54 with 5:42 left on a three by Hegge, but UNI scored the next five points to build the lead back to 62-54 with 4:03 left. The Coyotes were within 62-56 after a Hegge layup but got no closer, although they were within 67-61 with 42 seconds left after a three-pointer by sophomore guard Tempestt Wilson (Elk River, Minn.).

The Coyotes scored the game's first points, on a layup by junior center Jodie Boss (Columbus, Neb.), to take an early 2-0 lead. However, Northern Iowa answered with a 10-2 run to take a 10-4 lead.

The Panthers (5-3) pushed the lead to 17-8 before Hegge drained a three-pointer to bring the Coyotes with 17-11 with 8:31 to go in the half.

Turnovers were costly for South Dakota early, as the Coyotes committed eight in the first 12 minutes, leading to 10 Panther points. Northern Iowa took advantage of the Coyotes' cold shooting - South Dakota hit just six of their first 20 field goal attempts (30 percent) - to build a 28-15 lead with three minutes left in the half.

The Coyotes got the deficit under single digits by halftime as junior Annie Roche (Vermillion, S.D.) hit a jumper with 25 seconds left in the first half.

Hegge led South Dakota with 10 first-half points, while Boss and Robertson had four each. The Coyotes shot only 36 percent in the second half. South Dakota warmed up from the field in the second half, hitting 15-of-30 attempts (50 percent), and finished at 43.6 percent for the game.

Wilson finished with seven points and two steals for the Coyotes. Boss had five points and three more blocks.

South Dakota returns to action Thursday at Northern Arizona. Game time is 7:35 p.m. in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Notes: Hegge's previous career-high was 25 points, set against Santa Clara last season...Northern Iowa has won two of the last three meetings against the Coyotes, with both wins coming in Cedar Falls...Robertson has scored in double figures in four of South Dakota's last six games.