March 10, 2015
Box Score
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.--South Dakota guard Raeshel Contreras hit the first shot of the game, but the top-seeded Coyotes made 4 of 30 shots in the first half and never recovered in a 72-57 loss to second-seeded South Dakota State in the Summit League Tournament final Tuesday at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
Nicole Seekamp, named Tournament MVP for the second time, scored a game-high 21 points and had five assists and three steals to lead South Dakota (25-7). She's the third player in Summit history to earn two Tournament MVP awards. Seekamp averaged 23 points, five assists and two steals in three tournament games.
Macy Miller scored 19 points and Ellie Thompson added 18 for the Jacks (24-8), which earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. South Dakota State is the only team to beat South Dakota since Jan. 24 (12 games).
The Coyotes went more than 11 minutes without a field goal in the first half. South Dakota State, meanwhile, made 9 of its first 10 shots to jump out to a 21-7 lead. It was 37-19 at the break. Miller had 12 points to lead all scorers.
Contreras' 3-pointer on the game's opening possession was the only triple of the game for South Dakota, which missed its final 15 from downtown. The Coyotes had hit 18 triples in the two games leading into the final.
Seekamp scored 17 second-half points on 7 of 9 shooting. Her drive to the hoop with nine minutes to go got South Dakota within 13 points at 57-44, but the team drew no closer.
Margaret McCloud scored 13 points and had eight rebounds for the Coyotes. She made all four shots she took in the second half. South Dakota made 15 of 31 in the second stanza following its 13 percent performance in the opening half.
South Dakota State made all 13 free-throw attempts in the second half and finished 22 of 26 from the stripe. South Dakota was 18 of 23.
South Dakota, by virtue of its Summit League regular season championship, receives an automatic bid to the WNIT, which starts March 18. The WNIT committee will release the 64-team field late the evening of March 16.