Newark, N.J. -- Sophomore guard Alexis Yackley scored 18 points to help the South Dakota women's basketball team roll to a 76-40 rout of the New Jersey Institute of Technology in a Great West Conference contest Saturday in Newark, N.J. The Coyotes improved to 14-10 overall and 5-2 in the Great West with the win, while NJIT fell to 7-14 and 3-3.

Yackley (Onida, S.D.) finished a perfect 6-of-6 from three-point range, setting a new career-high with six threes. She also added four assists and four rebounds.

Several Coyotes contributed in the win, including junior forward Amber Hegge (Crofton, Neb.), who finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and a team-high five assists. Hegge, who recorded her fifth double-double of the season, surpassed 500 career rebounds early in the contest and now is just the 11th Coyote women's player to have eclipsed 1,000 points and 500 rebounds for her career. Freshman forward Stacia Robertson (Grand Island, Neb.) recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Junior center Jodie Boss (Columbus, Neb.) had six points, 10 rebounds and six blocks.

"That was a really competitive effort today by the Coyotes," South Dakota head coach Ryun Williams said. "There was good production by a lot of our kids."

The Coyotes used a dominant defensive stretch to build a big lead by halftime. South Dakota led 18-17 after an NJIT basket with 12:16 left in the first half. The Coyotes would hold the Highlanders without a point for the next 11:54 while going on a 17-0 run in building a 37-17 lead. Hegge sparked the run with nine points, while Robertson and sophomore guard Tempestt Wilson (Elk River, Minn.) each hit threes.

NJIT finally broke the scoreless stretch with 20 seconds left in the half, but by then, the Coyotes were up double-digits. They took a 37-19 lead into halftime, holding the Highlanders to 28 percent shooting in the first half.

The Coyote defense continued to control the game to open the second half, and the Coyotes also warmed up from three-point range. The Coyotes put the game out of reach with a 17-1 run over the first 6:36 of the second half to build a commanding 54-20 advantage. During that stretch, junior guard Annie Roche (Vermillion, S.D.) and Yackley each hit two 3-pointers while Hegge added five points.

From the 12:16 mark of the first half to the 4:38 mark of the second half, the Coyotes outscored NJIT 48-9.

"I give our kids a ton of credit," Williams said. "We did a nice job containing their dribble penetration. We were in the gaps, helping each other. We didn't miss many assignments."

Roche finished with nine points and three assists for the Coyotes while Wilson had eight points. Senior Teresa Case (Sioux Falls, S.D.) added four assists off the bench. All 10 Coyotes who saw playing time scored in the win.

South Dakota shot 48.3 percent (29-of-60) from the field, including 46.2 (12-of-26) from three-point range. The Coyotes held NJIT to just 25 percent shooting (13-of-52).

South Dakota resumes action on Thursday, Feb. 17 at Utah Valley. Game time is 5:30 p.m. Central in Orem, Utah.