VERMILLION, S.D. - Junior guard Alexis Yackley scored a season-high 16 points, but the South Dakota women's basketball team fell short against Oral Roberts, 66-53 in the Coyotes' Summit League home opener Thursday night in Vermillion, S.D. The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Coyotes (8-3, 1-2 Summit League), while Oral Roberts improved to 8-5 overall and 2-0 in the Summit League.

Yackley (Onida, S.D.) hit 6-of-13 field goals, including 4-of-9 from three-point range, and also added six rebounds and four assists. Seniors Amber Hegge (Crofton, Neb.) had 11 points and led the Coyotes with seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks as well. Senior Annie Roche (Vermillion, S.D.) collected 11 points and added four assists as well.

Kevi Luper led Oral Roberts, the preseason favorite in the Summit League, with 25 points.

The Coyotes shot just 29 percent (9-of-31) from three-point range on the night and hit 38.5 percent (18-of-50) from the field overall. Oral Roberts shot just 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from three-point range but shot 50 percent (27-of-54) from the field overall.

The game was closer than the final score indicated, but an untimely cold spell from the field in the second half proved to be the Coyotes' demise.

South Dakota led by as many as six in the first half and took a 28-27 lead into halftime. The Golden Eagles opened the second half on a 13-8 run to build a 40-35 lead with 12:36 left.

The Coyotes answered with six straight points - on threes from junior Tempestt Wilson (Elk River, Minn.) and Yackley - to take a 41-40 lead with 11:30 left. However, after Yackley's three with 11:30 left, the Coyotes managed just four points over the next 9:05 as the Golden Eagles pushed the lead to 56-45 with 2:25 left, thanks to a decisive 15-4 run. South Dakota got no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

The Coyotes trailed for much of the first half, including 20-16 with 7:21 left. However, they scored seven straight points - which included two 3-pointers from Yackley - to take a 23-20 lead with 5:29 left. A three-pointer by Roche gave South Dakota its biggest lead of the night at 26-20 with 3:02 left in the first half. Oral Roberts cut the lead to 28-27 at halftime.

South Dakota shot 38.5 percent in the first half, compared to 44 percent for Oral Roberts. Yackley had 10 points in the first half while Roche had six.

In the second half, South Dakota shot only 33.3 percent (8-of-24) from the field, while Oral Roberts shot 55.2 percent (16-of-29).

Sophomore McKayla Knudson (South Sioux City, Neb.) gave the Coyotes solid minutes off the bench with three points and five rebounds.

South Dakota will look to get back into the win column Saturday at home against Southern Utah. Game time is 2 p.m. at the DakotaDome.

Notes: The loss ended a 14-game home winning streak for the Coyotes...Hegge has now scored in double figures in 20 straight games...senior Jodie Boss (Columbus, Neb.) has at least one block in 29 straight games; she had two in Thursday's game....Yackley now has at least one assist in 22 straight games.