The Streak
South Dakota has strung together 22 consecutive home victories dating back to Dec. 17, 2015. For perspective, only two NCAA Div. I women's teams have put together a longer streak at home: UConn and Baylor. The Coyotes only have one loss at home over the past three seasons, which came at the hands of NCAA Final Four participant Washington. In five years the Coyotes are 60-7 in Vermillion.
The Game
It's the top versus the bottom of the Summit League. South Dakota is in a three-way tie for first with Western Illinois and South Dakota State at 5-1. Fort Wayne remains the only Summit program without a league win to date.
The Coyotes
South Dakota's hot shooting at 46.6 percent from the field has carried them to a 16-3 start. Three starters average above .500 from the field, including the one-two scoring punch of
Allison Arens and
Jaycee Bradley. Arens' 20.2 points per game, which tops the Summit and ranks 18th in the nation, comes from drives to the basket or the charity stripe. Meanwhile, watch out if Bradley heats up from outside the arc. More than 65 percent of her 14.2 points per game is scored form downtown and she has scored the 12th-most threes in the country. The Coyotes have shot under 40 percent just four times this season, but three occasions have come in Summit play. The Yotes are 2-2 with a scoring margin of -3 when shooting under that mark.
The Mastodons
Fort Wayne has just one player in double figures this season in sophomore De'Jour Young at 12.4 points and 5.1 boards per game. Young tallied her first career double-double in the Dons last game out against Denver. Fort Wayne gives up an average 69 points per game while scoring 57. The Mastodons earned the No. 7 seed to last year's Summit League Tournament. This year's squad is under the direction of first year head coach Niecee Nelson.
The Series
South Dakota holds an 8-3 edge in the six-year series with Fort Wayne including a sweep a year ago by roughly an average of 30 points. While the Coyotes scored above 90 in both of those wins, this year's squad has only broken the 90-point barrier twice this year.
Final Note
Tonight marks the 20th game of the season and the Coyotes have never had fewer than four losses through 20 games since the move to NCAA Div. I. A win tonight continues a record-setting season for the Coyotes, who have surprised many after graduating four starters from last year's Women's National Invitation Tournament championship squad.
