BOCA RATON, Fla.–Four Coyotes scored in double figures as South Dakota defeated Appalachian State 87-60 at the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament Friday in The Burrow.
 
The win improves the Coyotes to 2-3 on the season while Appalachian State falls to 1-3.
 
"It was a good win for our team," commented head coach Amy Williams. "Appalachian State's run made it pretty tight for us in the first half, but we handled their run well. We were able to sustain and take a good lead into halftime."
 
Senior center Margaret McCloud put away 13 points to lead the Coyotes in scoring. Senior guard Tia Hemiller and junior guard Caitlin Duffy added 11 points each. Sophomore center Kate Liveringhouse knocked down five field goals for 10 points.
 
Appalachian State was led in scoring by guard Joi Jones with 18 points with eight from the charity stripe. Ashley Bassett-Smith came off the bench to add 11 points and seven rebounds for the Mountaineers.
 
South Dakota led the entire contest, with as much as a 30-point advantage in the fourth quarter.
 
The Mountaineers went on a nine point run as they closed out the first quarter and entered the second, closing the gap back to two points. The Coyotes answered back with their own 12 point run, led by two buckets from Hemiller and a pair of triples by senior Kelly Stewart.
 
"Appalachian State had a few blocks early, but we were still effective in the paint," said Williams. "Our centers did a great job being efficient when they had their opportunities. They weren't scared to go back in there, which was a good adjustment to see out of our athletes."
 
McCloud was 6-for-8 from the field, while also pulling down six defensive rebounds. Liveringhouse hit 5-of-6 and junior center Abigail Fogg made 3-of-4 for seven points. The Coyotes made 40 points in the paint.
 
South Dakota narrowly won the rebounding battle 39-38, led by six rebounds apiece from McCloud and junior forward Bridget Arens. McCloud moves into 12th in program history for career rebounds with 625.
 
Hemiller dished out seven of the Coyotes' 24 assists.
 
Freshman Jaycee Bradley came off the bench to score a season-high nine points and dish out two assists. Stewart added nine points. Senior guard Nicole Seekamp tallied six points, four assists, and three steals.
 
South Dakota returns to The Burrow tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. to take on tournament host Florida Atlantic.