BOCA RATON, Fla.–Junior guard Caitlin Duffy scored 20 points to lead South Dakota 76-53 past host Florida Atlantic in the championship game of the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday in The Burrow.
 
En route to winning the tournament, South Dakota (3-3) handed Florida Atlantic (4-1) its first loss of the season.
 
"We felt this tournament presented a great opportunity for our team to learn how to win on the road, but also how to win in a tournament environment," said head coach Amy Williams. "We took this game very seriously. We wanted to be able to get something out of this game and I think we did that today."
 
Duffy's 20 points came on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. Only two buckets were from beyond the arc. She also contributed with three rebounds and an assist.
 
"I was pleased with the way Caitlin played," said Williams. "They scouted her and knew she had hit seven triples in a game. FAU came flying at her on the 3-point line. She was smart and took it to the basket, finishing at the rim. We were happy to see another side of Caitlin today."
 
Senior guards Kelly Stewart and Tia Hemiller posted double-doubles in the championship. Stewart knocked down 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Hemiller scored 10 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Stewart and Hemiller dished out four and two assists, respectively.
 
Also scoring in double digits was senior center Margaret McCloud. McCloud was 3-of-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. She was two rebounds shy of the double-double, grabbing eight. She also contributed one block and two steals defensively.
 
Florida Atlantic had three players reach double-digit point totals. Ali Gorrell led the way with 12 points, while Morgan Robinson and Malia Kency added 10 each. Melinda Myers had a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Gorrell drained a 3-pointer in the opening five seconds, but South Dakota controlled the remainder of the game after the first minute. Florida Atlantic shot a mere 18.5 percent (5-of-27) in the first half from the field.
 
After entering halftime down 33-15, the Owls came out to knock back seven triples in the second half. Kency made three beyond the arc in a two-minute span during the third quarter.
 
The Coyotes dominated the rebounding battle 61-31. They also had 14 second-chance points off their 18 offensive rebounds.
 
South Dakota also led scoring in the paint 40-12.
 
The Coyotes will carry a three-game winning streak home to the DakotaDome next week. South Dakota hosts Drake at 7 p.m. Thursday and Portland State at 2 p.m. Saturday.