Feb. 15, 2014

Box Score |

VERMILLION, S.D.--For the second time in three days, South Dakota's women's basketball team has avenged a double-digit loss. Raeshel Contreras and Nicole Seekamp scored 16 points each and Kelly Stewart provided 12 points off the bench as the Coyotes crushed first-place IUPUI 74-56 Saturday inside the DakotaDome.

South Dakota (14-11, 5-5 Summit) won all three games of a season-long three-game home stand to get even in Summit League play. The Coyotes handed IUPUI (19-7, 9-2) its first setback in 10 games. Eight of the Jaguars' wins during their winning streak were by double digits.

The script was flipped from an 80-59 Jaguar win a month ago. IUPUI senior forward DeAirra Goss tallied a career-high 27 points and the Jaguars forced 20 turnovers in the first meeting. Goss had nine points on 3 of 16 shooting and the Coyotes committed a season-low nine turnovers in this one.

USD point guard Tia Hemiller scored just seven points, but she grabbed nine rebounds and handed out three assists without committing a turnover in 32 minutes of work. IUPUI entered forcing 20 turnovers a contest and was tops in the League in assist-to-turnover ratio.

"This was a great win for our team and it reinforced what we have been harping on in practice in terms of rebounding and playing great team defense," said USD head coach Amy Williams. "This was a terrific defensive effort tonight."

South Dakota held IUPUI to 35 percent shooting, including an 8 of 30 effort in the second half (26 percent). The Coyotes led 33-29 at halftime, then out-scored the Jaguars 14-6 during the first six minutes of the second half.

Contreras and Seekamp combined to score 25 second-half points, two fewer than IUPUI mustered as a team. Seekamp was 10 of 10 from the free-throw line and the Coyotes were 25 of 28 as a team (89 percent). IUPUI also took 28 free throws, but made 16 (57 percent).

IUPUI point guard Dee-Dee Bellamy didn't score in the first meeting, but led the Jaguars with 11 points Saturday. She was the only IUPUI player to reach double figures. Sophomore forward Akilah Sims had eight points and eight rebounds.

The Coyotes moved into fourth place in the Summit League standings and could move into a tie for third place by the end of the day. Remarkable for a team that opened 0-4. South Dakota faces its final road trip of the regular season next week with games at Omaha (Thursday) and Western Illinois (Saturday).