South Dakota women's basketball ventured to the Puerto Rico Classic for three games in three days inside Mario Morales Coliseum in Guaynabo.

The Tournament
The Coyotes are back in the Caribbean for the second-straight season. In this year's Puerto Rico Classic, South Dakota will face Grambling State, Loyola Marymount and Indiana on three consecutive days. The Coyotes and the GSU Tigers tip-off the tournament at 12:30 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday. Day two brings the Coyotes against the LMU Lions at 3 p.m. (CT) Thursday. The tournament wraps up with a showdown between South Dakota and Indiana at 3 p.m. (CT) on Friday.

The Coyotes
South Dakota (10-1) enters the tournament on an eight-game winning streak that is tied for 15th in the NCAA. The Coyotes are off to their best start since the 2007-08 season, when the Coyotes won 31-straight games and finished as the NCAA Division II Runner-Ups. South Dakota has been receiving votes in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls for three-straight weeks. The Coyotes are the NCAA's team of the week after beating their second AP Top 25 team this season. Junior guard Ciara Duffy earned Summit League Player of the Week honors by scoring 20 points in USD's 74-61 win at No. 22/24 Missouri. Duffy leads a balanced Coyote attack that has included six different leading scorers as USD spreads the wealth in scoring and rebounding. Last season, South Dakota swept the Summit League a season ago and reached the quarterfinals of the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

The Tigers
Grambling State (1-7) won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament last year to advance to the 2018 NCAA Tournament. This season's Tigers are paced by senior guard Shakyla Hill in points, rebounds, assists and steals. She was named to the preseason Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list. She was also named the SWAC's Preseason Player of the Year and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Hill became just the fourth player in NCAA women's basketball history to record a quadruple-double last season against Alabama State. The Tigers are in the middle of a grueling 12-game road swing lasting from Nov. 9 to Jan. 12.

The Lions
Loyola Marymount (7-2) finished 20-11 last season, taking third in the West Coast Conference behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. The Lions kicked off the season with a pair of wins over UCLA and Arizona. Leading scorer and all-WCC guard, Gabby Green, has only played three games this season due to injury. She played in the season-opening win against UCLA and the last two games leading up to Puerto Rico. The Cal transfer averages 21 points and seven rebounds when she's in. Sophomore Jasmine Jones moved into the starting lineup in December due to injuries on the team. She leads the team in total points, averaging 12 points and seven rebounds per game.

The Hoosiers
Indiana (9-0) won the 2018 Women's National Invitation Tournament with six-straight home games. The Coyotes were one win away from facing the Hoosiers in the WNIT semifinal. Indiana boasts a nation-leading 15-game winning streak entering the Puerto Rico Classic and are receiving votes in the AP Top 25 poll. Indiana is one of 17 unbeaten teams remaining in the NCAA this season. 81 percent of Indiana's scoring this season comes from its starting lineup with four starters averaging double figures. Notre Dame transfer Ali Patberg leads the team at 17 points per game. Pittsburgh transfer Brenna Wise adds 15 more. Sophomores Jaelynn Penn and Bendu Yeaney add 13 and 10 points points per game, respectively. The Hoosiers are shooting at a 47.9 percent clip, ranking 14th nationally for field-goal percentage.

The Series
This marks the first meeting between South Dakota and all three programs.

One Last Thing
A staple of USD head coach Dawn Plitzuweit's program has been an emphasis on defense. The Coyotes' defense has improved each season under Plitzuweit, from foes averaging 63.6 in her first year to 56.7 so far this season. This year's Coyotes are shy of the school record 52.7 set in 2011-12, but currently boast the fourth-best scoring defense in program history.