Santa's Coming!
Santa returns to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Thursday after making his debut at Sunday's game. Come tell Santa what you want for Christmas, get your photo taken and get your candy!
The Series
South Dakota leads the all-time series with Northwestern 19-1. The Coyotes have won 18-straight games dating back to the 1974-75 season. The two teams met on a nearly annual basis through the 1980s before an 18-year hiatus starting in 1990. The programs met once again in USD's first year of the Div. I transition (2008-09) where the Coyotes won 69-61 in Orange City.
The Game
Thursday wraps up a three-game home stand for South Dakota (8-2). The Coyotes remain undefeated in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center through the first four games. In fact, South Dakota has lost just one game at home in the past three seasons. That loss came to Washington on Dec. 12, 2015, ahead of the Huskies' NCAA Final Four appearance. Thursday will serve as an exhibition game for Northwestern (9-5, 3-5 GPAC), who is receiving votes in the latest NAIA poll.
Off to a Hot Start
The reigning Women's National Invitation Tournament champions are off to an 8-2 start, the third time the feat has been accomplished (or bettered) at the Div. I level. The program's best start came in the first year of the Div. I transition at 9-1, albeit against non-Div. I competition. The program was also 8-2 in 2011-12 and 2014-15.
About the Coyotes
A trio of young starting guards in sophomore
Allison Arens, sophomore
Jaycee Bradley and freshman
Ciara Duffy have led the Coyotes on the court this season with each averaging double figures. Arens boasts six 20-point games this season and her average 20.2 points per game ranks 19th in the nation. She's also made the fifth-most free throws (59) nationally. Bradley is the reigning Summit League Player of the Week after averaging 20 points, four rebounds and 2.5 assists in a pair of wins over Illinois and San Jose State. She's averaging 14.9 points per game this season. Duffy adds 11.9 points per game. In Sunday's win over San Jose State, the Coyotes put five players in double figures for the first time this season.
About the Red Raiders
Northwestern has been hampered by the loss of leading scorer Kassidy De Jong in the past three games. De Jong was averaging 22.2 points and 7.6 rebounds through the first 11 games, including scoring more than 30 points in the Red Raiders' upset of No. 4 Morningside, 98-97, in Sioux City back in November. She was the 2016 GPAC Freshman of the Year and the younger sister of Kendra De Jong, the 2013 NAIA Player of the Year and three-time All-American. Northwestern captured an NAIA National Championship in 2012 with Kendra on the roster, but have failed to reach the NAIA National Tournament the past two seasons. The Red Raiders were tied for seventh in the GPAC, posting a 15-14 record, during the 2015-16 season.
Quirky Note
Senior forward
Bridget Arens, the lone four-year senior on the roster, tied her career best against a Div. I opponent with 12 points Sunday. She's achieved the feat four times in her career, with the first three all coming against rival South Dakota State (2/2/14; 3/10/14; 2/21/15). Arens' overall career high is 17 points against the University of Saint Mary (Kan.).
Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree
Bradley and Duffy have put away 31 and 25 triples, respectively, to rank in the top-50 of the nation for 3-pointers made. Bradley's 3.1 triples per game ranks 23rd nationally. To reach the top-10 list for a single season, a player must make at least 71 3-point field goals. The last player to make the list was Raeshel Contreras, who drained 86 in the 2014-15 campaign.
Battle of the Guards
While post players traditionally dominate the field-goal percentage category, this season, four out of the five players at the top of the Summit League's leader boards for field-goal percentage are guards. Highlighting the group in the top spot is
Allison Arens at 54.7 percent (64-of-117) from the field.
