VERMILLION, S.D.—Tonight in Salt Lake City, Utah, South Dakota women's basketball tips off its fourth season under head coach
Amy Williams.
The Coyotes have reached the Summit League Championship the past three seasons under Williams' tenure. South Dakota advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2014, while finishing as the league tournament runner-up in 2013 and 2015.
South Dakota brings back 70 percent of its scoring from a year ago, returning three starters and four reserves. Highlighting the returnees is 2015 Summit League Preseason Player of the Year
Nicole Seekamp.
On April 20, 2015, Seekamp was granted a fourth year of eligibility by the NCAA, following a two-game withholding. Seekamp was originally charged with the loss of one of her four seasons of collegiate competition as the result of participating in organized amateur competition in Australia following her high school graduation. Seekamp will join the Coyotes on the court at Kansas State, South Dakota's third game of the season.
Other returning starters for the Coyotes include preseason Summit League second-team selections point guard
Tia Hemiller and center
Margaret McCloud.
McCloud joined the program's 500-rebound club last season, ending with 602 career rebounds. She's also 203 points away from the 1,000 points/500 rebounds combo. McCloud averaged 9.4 points per game last season.
Hemiller was the fifth-best free throw shooter in the Summit League at 83.8 percent (62-74). She also finished the season 10th in assists with 84.
Reserve returnees include guard
Kelly Stewart (7.0 ppg), forward
Bridget Arens (6.1 ppg), center
Kate Liveringhouse (5.7 ppg), and guard
Heidi Hoff (2.9 ppg).
After sitting out the 2014-15 season due to NCAA transfer regulations, guard
Caitlin Duffy and post
Abigail Fogg will put on a Coyote uniform for the first time. A transfer from American standing at 6-foot-4, Fogg's height will add an edge to the Coyote attack. Duffy averaged 10.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in two seasons at Colorado State.
The Coyotes also add six new faces to the roster this season. The four freshmen include
Allison Arens,
Jaycee Bradley,
Megan Bonar, and
Madeline Homoly. Redshirt-freshman
Kaitlyn Severyn transferred in from South Dakota State and junior
Jasmine Trimboli transferred from Iowa Western Community College.
Tonight marks the first matchup in program history between Utah and South Dakota. The Coyotes have played two other Pac-12 programs, Washington and Stanford, in Williams' tenure.
