South Dakota women's basketball continues its five-game homestand at 7 p.m. Tuesday as the Coyotes host UC Riverside inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, S.D.

The Promotions
It's Our Town Tuesday and Clay County residents can get $5 off their ticket by showing their ID at the ticket booth.

The Game
Another tough defensive team is on tap for the Coyotes as the Highlanders rank third in the Big West for field-goal percentage defense (40.1) and second in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (30.4). The game is a rematch from a 61-55 Coyote victory in Riverside last season.

The Coyotes
South Dakota has a deeper lineup this season with a balanced attack that runs nine players deep. USD head coach Dawn Plitzuweit has focused on defense in the nonconference season, with the Coyotes limiting opponents to 61 points per game and forcing nearly 17 turnovers a contest. Sophomore guard Madison McKeever has thrived in the defensive mindset, swiping 19 of her 32 steals in the last five games. She has led the Coyotes in scoring for two-straight games and had 15 against Tulsa on Saturday.

The Highlanders
The Highlanders are in the middle of a Midwest road swing with South Dakota sandwiched between games at Iowa State (L, 89-66 on Sunday) and Minnesota (Friday). UC Riverside is just two years removed from a 16-0 Big West campaign where head coach John Margaritis was named the Big West Coach of the Year. The Highlanders are paced this season by senior guards Michelle Curry and Lauren Holt at 13.2 and 12.5 points per game, respectively. The duo were Big West honorable mention a season ago. The Highlanders' nonconference slate includes six Power 5 opponents including #7 UCLA and #14 Stanford.

The Series
Tuesday marks the second meeting between the two teams. The Coyotes and the Highlanders first met in Riverside, California, last Thanksgiving. The Coyotes came away with a 61-55 road victory behind Allison Arens' 27 points and nine rebounds. She scored a layup with 1:09 to play that made it a two-possession game. Ciara Duffy had five defensive rebounds and a block in the final 1:32 of the game. South Dakota is 6-2 all-time against the Big West Conference.

One Last Thing
It's been a day and night difference between day or night games of late. All five of USD's losses this season have come in day games and the Coyotes are 11-11 under Plitzuweit in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Coyotes are 18-3 under Plitzuweit in night games.