The SeriesSaturday marks the 73rd meeting between the Mavericks and the Coyotes. South Dakota leads the all-time series 38-34, a rivalry that dates back to the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (AIAW) and through years in the North Central Conference. Since both programs joined the Summit League in 2011, the Coyotes have a 6-1 edge over the Mavericks.
The GameSouth Dakota has won five of six games inside the DakotaDome this season. South Dakota enters the contest at No. 108 in the RPI after dropping 30 places from its loss to Oral Roberts. Omaha has an RPI of 282 with its best win coming against No. 230 Western Illinois.
The Coyotes have been paced by senior guard
Tia Hemiller in the first two league games. Hemiller has scored in double figures for 12 consecutive games, averaging 12.3 points and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds on the season. She also posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds at Oral Roberts Wednesday. Senior guard
Nicole Seekamp leads the team on the season with 14.2 points per game. She adds 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.4 steals per game. Junior guard
Caitlin Duffy and senior guard
Kelly Stewart add 11.9 and 8.8 points, respectively, per game with outside shooting.
Omaha is led by pre-season all-league pick Mikaela Shaw, who averages 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Guard Remy Davenport is the only other Maverick in double figures at 10.7 points per game. Although Omaha averages only 65.5 points a contest, it has the league's best field-goal defense. Omaha's opponents have been limited to 36.8 percent shooting from the field. The Mavericks also lead the league with 5.6 blocks per contest, with 6-foot-0 freshman Caroline Hauge contributing 2.7 a game herself.
Last Time OutSouth Dakota dropped a road contest at Oral Roberts on Wednesday. Hemiller nailed a 3-point field goal with 3:38 remaining to tie the game 54-54, but the Coyotes missed eight field goals in the final minutes as the Golden Eagles came away with a 60-56 win. South Dakota shot a mere 28.6 percent, 16.6 percent below its average, on the night.
A Mark on the Record BooksSeekamp has stamped a mark on program record books during her Coyote career. She ranks third for career points (1,669), fourth in assists (478), and third in steals (220).
#MarchToTheSummitSouth Dakota finished 2014-15 with a 13-3 Summit League record and regular season title. The Coyotes only dropped road contests to Oral Roberts, IUPUI, and South Dakota State. The title defense continues Saturday with Omaha.
