The SeriesSouth Dakota leads the series 8-3 with three wins in a row for the Coyotes. IUPUI was one of three road losses for USD a year ago, with the other two coming at Oral Roberts and South Dakota State.
#MarchtotheSummitSouth Dakota clinched its second consecutive Summit League regular season title and the No. 1 tournament seed Thursday. The Coyotes will play at noon on March 5 in Sioux Falls with the opponent to be determined Saturday. IUPUI needs a win and an SDSU loss to clinch the No. 2 seed, but will remain the No. 3 seed otherwise.
The GameSouth Dakota's coming off its best shooting percentage (61.2) of the season at Fort Wayne. The Coyotes have won 13 straight, the program's longest winning streak in the Division I era. IUPUI defeated South Dakota State 63-60 inside The Jungle. Saturday will be senior night for the Jaguars.
Danielle Lawrence leads the Jaguars with 13.6 points per game, but Mikale Rogers and Akilah Sims are close behind at 12.9 and 10.9 points per game, respectively. Rogers shot 70 percent the last time out against the Yotes.
South Dakota captured its league title with a quick style of offense that ranks eighth in the nation at 79.9 points per game. The Coyotes spread the ball around with 505 assists that ranks eighth nationally. The Coyote defense has also improved through the second half of league play, limiting opponents to 54.0 points per game and forcing them into 17.9 turnovers a contest.
Last Time OutSouth Dakota senior guard
Tia Hemiller finished with a perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the field, leading the Coyotes to a season-best 61.2 percent shooting. Senior guard
Nicole Seekamp added 11 points, five assists and three steals. The Coyote bench continued to make an impact with 45 points, led by sophomore center Kate Liveringhosue with 10 points. Junior forward
Bridget Arens scored a season high nine points.
1,000 PointsSenior center
Margaret McCloud and junior guard
Jasmine Trimboli scored the 1,000th point of their careers Thursday. McCloud became the 12th player in program history with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Trimboli scored 164 this season with the remained from two seasons at Iowa Western CC.
StreaksSouth Dakota has won 13 straight games, the longest winning streak since the program entered the NCAA Division I era. Its tied for the 13th-longest active streak nationally.