VERMILLION, S.D. -- A crucial 9-0 run over the final two minutes helped the University of South Dakota women's basketball team secure a 63-52 win over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in nonconference action Sunday afternoon in Vermillion, S.D.

USD (12-12) won for the second straight time and avenged an earlier loss to the Cougars (7-20) with Sunday's victory.

The Coyotes were led by sophomore Amber Hegge (Crofton, Neb.), who had 16 points and six rebounds. Senior Jasmine Mosley (Bellevue, Neb.) added 15 points and four rebounds.

The decisive run came in the final minutes after SIUE had cut an eight-point Coyote lead to two points with 2:24 remaining.

With 1:20 left, Hegge was fouled but hit two key free throws as USD extended the lead to 56-52.

On SIUE's next offensive possession, the Coyotes got a key defensive stop. The Cougars fouled Mosley, who hit two more free throws give USD a 58-52 lead with 44 seconds left.

Once again, USD got another stop, and while SIUE got the offensive rebound, senior Kara Iverson (Yankton, S.D.) stole the ball away and was fouled. Iverson hit two free throws to make the score 60-52, and the Coyotes iced the game from the line from there.

USD hit 9-of-11 free throws over the final two minutes and finished the game 17-of-21 (81 percent) from the line.

Junior Teresa Case (Sioux Falls, S.D.) was 4-for-4 from the line and finished with eight points, three rebounds and three assists off the bench. Iverson had seven points, while junior Abby Kinder (Granger, Ind.) had six points and five assists. Junior Jamie Young (Great Falls, Mont.) sparked USD off the bench with four points in five minutes of action.

USD overcame a tough shooting night from three-point range - the Coyotes were just 2-of-17 from behind the arc - thanks to clutch free-throw shooting and defense.

The Coyotes moved out to a 10-5 lead in the first 5:31 of the game, sparked by five points from sophomore Annie Roche (Vermillion, S.D.).

However, USD went cold from the field, going without a point for more than seven minutes. Despite that cold spell, USD never trailed during that stretch, as SIUE managed just three points during that same span.

Hegge's three-point play with 6:47 to go in the half broke the cold spell and pushed USD ahead 13-10, and moments later, she hit another layup to push the Coyote advantage to 15-10.

SIUE cut the gap to one on a pair of occasions late in the half, but a layup by Mosley in the final minute pushed the USD lead to 23-19, an advantage the Coyotes took into halftime.

USD was led in the first half by seven points from Hegge, who played just seven minutes as a result of foul trouble. Iverson and Roche had five points.

USD shot just 33.3 percent (9-of-27) from the field in the first half, but held SIUE to just 22.2 percent (6-of-27) at the same time.

For the game, USD finished shooting at 40.7 percent, compared to just 30.5 for SIUE. USD outscored the Cougars 38-24 in the paint.

The Coyotes venture back into Great West Conference play on Thursday, Feb. 25 at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Game time is 4 p.m. Central time in Newark, N.J.