VERMILLION, S.D.–South Dakota senior guard
Jasmine Trimboli scored a career high 21 points in the Coyotes' 76-71 comeback victory over North Dakota on Thursday evening inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center to wrap up USD's nonconference slate.
The Coyotes (8-5) have now won four-straight against the Fighting Hawks (7-4). Tonight was just the 11th nonconference meeting between the two teams as North Dakota, a former NCC and Great West rival, is slated to join the Summit League next season.
"North Dakota is a talented team, who I think could contend for the Big Sky Championship again this year," said USD head coach
Dawn Plitzuweit. "It will be a great rivalry to resume when they join the Summit League next season.
"With just one day of preparation, we had to find a way to make adjustments in the middle of the game. To our team's credit, they understood the urgency they needed to play with, found ways to get defensive stops and played phenomenal defense in the second half. This was a real toughness challenge and we passed that test today."
Trimboli made 10-of-12 field goals for a game-high 21 points. Junior guard
Allison Arens also reached double figures with 15 points, four steals and a pair of assists. Sophomore guard
Ciara Duffy posted her third-straight double-figure game with 13 points. She added four assists and three steals.
All-Big Sky senior forward Lexi Klabo's 18 points and eight boards paced North Dakota. North Dakota guard Bailey Strand added 15 points and forward Fallyn Freije had six points with 10 rebounds.
North Dakota came out firing, making 11 of their first 14 field goal attempts. Strand was 5-of-7 from outside the arc at the half. The Fighting Hawks led by as much as 18 early in the second quarter. Trimboli got the Coyotes rolling in the second period, scoring half of USD's 22 points in the quarter on 5-of-7 shooting. The Coyotes trailed 46-35 at the half.
Arens drove in a layup and scored an old-fashioned 3-point play to start off the third quarter for the Coyotes. After a made jumper by senior center
Kate Liveringhouse made it 50-44, Arens swiped the ball off North Dakota and found Liveringhouse down-court for a fastbreak layup.
Trimboli had three layups in the final five minutes of the third quarter as the Coyotes entered the final period trailing 60-56.
South Dakota's defense continued to step up in the fourth quarter, forcing eight Fighting Hawk turnovers. Duffy, who had three steals for the second-straight game, swiped the ball from UND's Freije with six minutes remaining. She found classmate
Taylor Frederick for a fastbreak layup that made it a single-possession game at 64-61. Trimboli's lone steal of the game came with four minutes remaining. Freshman guard
Chloe Lamb converted on that possession as the Coyotes closed the gap to 64-63.
It was Duffy's made 3-pointer with 2:20 to play that gave the Coyotes the lead, 67-66, for the first time in 37 minutes. After an offensive charge by UND on the following possession, Trimboli capitalized by driving in to give USD a 69-66 lead with 1:35 to play.
South Dakota made seven of eight from the free-throw line in the final minute to hold off the Fighting Hawks. The Coyotes completed a second-half comeback for the second time this season to win 76-71.
North Dakota finished at 48 percent (24-50) from the field while South Dakota made 46.3 percent (25-54) from the floor.
Also notable, Arens was 9-of-10 from the free-throw line on Thursday. She surpassed Nicole Seekamp on the career charts for free-throw percentage. Arens has made 227-264 (.860) from the charity stripe for USD. She holds USD records for free-throws made in a game (18), free-throws attempted in a game (20) and free-throw percentage in a game (12-12 FTs, 1.000).
South Dakota returns to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30. The Coyotes kick off Summit League action with Denver for the third-straight year.
