We are set for a women's basketball mid-major showdown on Thursday night as No. 1 Drake plays host to No. 6 South Dakota inside the Knapp Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Des Moines with the television broadcast by MC22 being picked up by ESPN3.
The Game
It's a battle between undefeated Summit League and Missouri Valley regular season champions. South Dakota became the Summit's first undefeated champion since 1994 when they finished 14-0 last year. Drake posted its second consecutive 18-0 season in the Valley. Both programs went 2-0 in the opening week with South Dakota topping Creighton and Incarnate Word, while Drake has wins over Nebraska and Western Illinois. The game will be a tough battle between the Bulldogs' high-powered offense averaging 90 points per game and the Coyotes' stingy defense only giving up 54 points per game.
The Coyotes
South Dakota (2-0) brings back nine letterwinners and a trio of starters in senior guard
Allison Arens, junior guard
Ciara Duffy and junior guard
Madison McKeever. Four players have averaged double digits through the opening two games with junior forward
Taylor Frederick leading the way at 17.5. Frederick scored a career high 26 points in the season opener at Creighton, en route to capturing her first Summit League Player of the Week award. The Coyotes opened the season with a road win at the Big East's Creighton, defeating the Bluejays 77-65. In the home opener with Incarnate Word, South Dakota spread the wealth as 12 players scored in the Coyotes' 96-43 victory.
The Bulldogs
Drake (2-0) should gel quickly this season, returning 12 of 13 players from last season including all five starters. Five players have averaged double figures in their opening pair of games led by Becca Hittner's 15.5 points and Sara Rhine's 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Rhine garnered the Valley's Player of the Week after a pair of double-doubles. The Bulldogs have a pair of impressive wins to open the season. In the season opener at Nebraska, Drake trailed by 14 points in the first quarter but put away a 30-7 second period to take the lead. The final score put the Bulldogs ahead of the Huskers 83-77. Drake is coming off a 98-71 victory at Summit foe Western Illinois on Saturday.
The Series
Despite the two campuses only sitting 230 miles apart, the Coyotes and the Bulldogs have only met nine times in program history dating back to 1979-80. Drake holds a 5-4 lead in the series with four of the Bulldogs' wins coming in USD's Division II era. The Coyotes are 4-1 against Drake since moving to NCAA Division I. The teams last met during the 2015-16 season, when the Coyotes needed an overtime period to best the Bulldogs 92-87 inside the DakotaDome.
One Last Thing
Shooting accuracy has been key for the Coyotes under Plitzuweit, leading the league in all three shooting categories throughout last season. The Coyotes have made above 49 percent from the floor in their first two games, topping out at an impressive 64 percent in the first half against Incarnate Word.
