VERMILLION, S.D.—It was a historical day inside the DakotaDome as the South Dakota women's basketball team downed Florida Gulf Coast 71-65 to win the Women's National Invitation Tournament in front of a sold-out crowd of 7,415 fans. It was the final basketball game in DakotaDome history.
 
South Dakota (32-6) ends its season on a win for the first time in program history. Senior guard Nicole Seekamp was named tournament MVP and joined senior teammate Tia Hemiller on the WNIT All-Tournament Team. South Dakota becomes the seventh mid-major to win the WNIT in tournament history.
 
The Coyotes are the first Summit League team in any sport, men's or women's, to win a national postseason title.
 
"There's a toughness and a grit about us, and we certainly played that way today," said South Dakota head coach Amy Williams. "I'm going to remember what a great team win that was. Abigail Fogg had to step in and step up, and Tia Hemiller played of her best games. Our team stayed committed to the team effort, and we were able to lean on a lot of different people."
 
Hemiller tied her career high of 22 points to lead the Coyotes, while also grabbing nine rebounds and handing out six assists. Seekamp had seven points, eight assists and nine rebounds in the game.
 
Seekamp, the Summit League Player of the Year, ends her Coyote career as the program's second-leading scorer, second in assists and second in steals. She's also the Summit League's all-time leader for career assists.
 
Florida Gulf Coast (33-6) was led by guard Kaneisha Atwater with 25 points. Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Whitney Knight was held to 2-of-12 shooting for six points, but tallied a career-high nine blocks. Taylor Gradinjan and Stephanie Haas scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, while each had six boards.
 
The first half featured eight lead changes. It took a buzzer-beater jumper by junior center Abigail Fogg from the left elbow for the Coyotes to take a 19-18 lead after one. Florida Gulf Coast went on a 9-4 run to start the second quarter, but scored two points in the final eight minutes of the first half.
 
With 3:35 to play in quarter two, Hemiller dished to senior guard Kelly Stewart who sank the 3-pointer and rallied the crowd. Junior guard Jasmine Trimboli followed with a steal that set up Hemiller for a jumper less than 30 seconds later. Hemiller's bucket retook the lead 28-27. South Dakota led 31-27 at the break and never trailed in the second half.
 
South Dakota's 18-2 run began with Stewart's 3-pointer and lasted through the 4:19 mark in the third quarter, when the Coyotes were up 41-29 after a three from junior guard Caitlin Duffy. Hemiller totaled nine points in the run.
 
Atwater scored 19 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter on 5-of-8 shooting in an effort to keep the Eagles in the game. Hemiller had 13 in the final frame including six in a row during a two-minute span near the start of the quarter. Stewart and Hemiller each hit 3-pointers in the final 2:15 to put it away for the Coyotes, forcing the Eagles to foul when they were down by double figures.
 
Fogg was a rebound shy of a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing a career-high nine rebounds. Stewart scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting with three made 3-pointers. Duffy was 2-of-3 from the field and made two free throws for eight points. She also grabbed five boards.
 
Fogg and Stewart swatted down a career-high three blocks apiece as the Coyotes totaled nine blocks in a game, four more than in any other game this season. Florida Gulf Coast swatted 10 shots.
 
South Dakota was the first opponent to reach 70 points against Florida Gulf Coast in regulation. The Eagles had held opponents to 49 points per game and 24 percent shooting from 3-point range. Only UCONN holds opponents to less points per game.
 
The Coyotes made 25-of-59 (42.4 percent) from the field and shot 7-of-18 (38.9 percent) from long range. South Dakota also outrebounded FGCU 48-31.
 
WNIT All-Tournament Team:
Nicole Seekamp, South Dakota (MVP)
Tia Hemiller, South Dakota
Whitney Knight, FGCU
Kaneisha Atwater, FGCU
Maite Cazorla, Oregon
Madison Ristovski, Michigan