Vermillion, S.D. -- The University of South Dakota women's basketball team outscored the New Jersey Institute of Technology 35-24 in the second half to claim a 59-48 win on Sunday night in the DakotaDome. With the win, South Dakota ended the regular season at 14-15 overall and 6-6 in the Great West Conference and clinched the fourth seed at GWC tournament next weekend in Orem, Utah. The Coyotes will face fifth-seeded NJIT (12-17, 6-6 GWC) at 3:30 p.m. CT on Thursday. After entering halftime deadlocked at 24, both teams crafted runs in the second half before USD took command midway through the frame. The Coyotes crafted a 10-1 to take a five-point advantage and sophomore forward Amber Hegge (Crofton, Neb.) took over from there to score 13 of USD's final 18 points. Junior guard Abby Kinder (Granger, Ind.) led all USD scorers with 19 points, thanks to five threes, while Hegge contributed 18 points.

Senior center Jasmine Mosley (Bellevue, Neb.) had nine rebounds. As a team USD shot 48 percent (20-of-42) from the field and 43 percent (9-of-21) behind the arc, while holding NJIT to 33 percent (17-of-51) and 37 percent (7-of-19) Senior forward Kara Iverson (Yankton, S.D.) got the Coyotes on the board with a three, but NJIT hit its first three attempts from beyond the arc and forced USD into five turnovers in the first five minutes to build a 12-4 lead. Kinder hit a trey to break the run and spark the Coyotes on a 15-4 run over the next nine minutes.

Hegge and sophomore guard Annie Roche (Vermillion, S.D.) knocked down bucket during the spurt, Iverson posted a three and Kinder made back-to-back buckets beyond the arc to give USD its first lead of the night at 22-20 with 2:25 left. The two exchanged buckets down the stretch and entered halftime deadlocked at 24. Kinder led USD with nine points in the first half thanks to three treys, while Hegge and Iverson contributed six apiece. Junior guard Teresa Case (Sioux Falls, S.D.) had three assists. The Coyotes shot 39 percent (9-of-23) from the field and 39 percent (5-of-13) from three in the first half, while the Highlanders knocked down 40 percent (10-of-25) and 38 percent (3-of-8). Each team managed a run in the second half before USD took command midway through. Roche hit a layup and Kinder knocked down a three, as South Dakota opened the frame with a 6-0 run in the first two minutes to go up 30-24. The Highlanders responded with an 11-1 march of their own to retake the lead at 35-31, but the Coyotes battle back behind Kinder for a second-straight night. She earned a layup and hit a trey to give USD the advantage again and Case hit a three of her own to put USD up 41-36 with 10:02 left. Hegge took over from there, as she scored 13 of the final 18 USD points before Roche knocked down a three with no time left on the shot clock to put the Coyotes up 11 at 54-43 with 2:16 left. Hegge and Kinder added free throws down the stretch for the final margin. Hegge had 12 points in the frame and Kinder chipped in 10.

Hegge and Case led USD with four assists each. Iverson and Case also had five rebounds.

USD's next action is at the Great West tournament Thursday against NJIT. The two teams have split the season series.