VERMILLION, S.D. -- Senior Amber Hegge recorded her ninth double-double of the season and freshman Kelly Stewart added 12 key points off the bench to help the South Dakota women's basketball team earn a 53-40 win over North Dakota State in Summit League action Saturday night at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D. The Coyotes, who won for the seventh straight time, improved to 17-6 overall and 8-5 in the Summit League, while NDSU fell to 9-17 overall and 6-8 in the league.

Hegge (Crofton, Neb.) had another dominant all-around game with 28 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals. She was 11-of-19 from the floor. Stewart (Amery, Wis.) was 5-of-6 from the field and also tied a career-high with five rebounds. Junior Tempestt Wilson (Elk River, Minn.) added six points, while senior Jodie Boss (Columbus, Neb.) had five rebounds and five blocks.

Once again, the Coyote defense was stellar, holding NDSU to 23.8 percent (15-of-63) shooting, including just 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from three-point range. The Coyotes shot 40.4 percent (21-of-52) from the field.

A triple and a driving layup by Hegge gave the Coyotes the early 5-2 lead less than four minutes into the contest. NDSU made just one of its first 12 shots, but Bison center Janae Burich had five rebounds in the early going including four on the offensive end, while Coyote senior center Jodi Boss (Columbus, Neb.) had two early blocks.

Back-to-back buckets by Hegge swelled the Coyote lead to 12-6 with 12 minutes remaining in the half as she began establishing a presence inside, scoring nine of the Coyotes' first 12 points. Hegge then hit her second trifecta of the game for a 15-8 lead with 8:35 remaining in the half.

Stewart extended the Coyote lead with a slashing drive to the bucket for a 17-8 lead on the ensuing Coyote possession. She then followed with a triple of her own moments later for a 20-10 advantage with less than eight minutes remaining in the half.

Hegge got the "and one" out of the media timeout for a 23-10 advantage with 6:54 left in the half as the Coyotes extended the run to 13-4 since the 12:46 mark. Senior Annie Roche (Vermillion, S.D.) went coast-to-coast for a bucket and forced the Bison miscue on the other end swelling the run to 15-4.

The Coyotes took a 32-14 lead into intermission as Hegge led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-9 from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 1-of-1 from the line. Stewart had seven points off the bench as South Dakota shot 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from the field. NDSU, meanwhile, shot a frigid 6-of-34 (17.6 percent) in the opening half.

For the second game in a row and third in the last four, the Coyotes held their opponent to fewer than 20 points in the first half. The Coyotes held Nebraska-Omaha to eight points in the first half in Tuesday's 58-38 win, while holding Southern Utah to 18 points Jan. 28 (W, 68-40) and held the Bison to 14 points Saturday.

Hegge scored on the fast break and was rewarded with the "and one" once again for a 43-16 lead as the Coyotes opened the half with an 11-2 run to put the game out of reach. Stewart extended the lead to 48-20 her second triple of the game with 9:35 remaining in the game, and the Coyotes were never threatened after that.

Roche led the way with four assists, while junior Alexis Yackley (Onida, S.D.) had three steals. Boss added three assists.

The win paves the way for a huge showdown between the Coyotes and South Dakota State on Monday night in Vermillion. SDSU has won nine in a row, while the Coyotes are riding a seven-game winning streak. Game time is 7 p.m. at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D.

Notes: Hegge is now at 1,594 career points and is tied for third with Karrie Wallen; she is just 11 points behind second-place Bridget Yoerger...Boss has at least one block in 41 straight games, while Yackley extended her streak of games with at least one assist to 34...the Coyotes are 17-3 when holding an opponent to 40 percent or less shooting.