SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—South Dakota women's basketball guard Ciara Duffy has been named The Summit League's January Athlete of the Month announced by the league office Wednesday.
 
Duffy averaged 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and a steal per game during the month of January. She reached double-figures in all seven games, including a career high 28 points in South Dakota's double-overtime victory over South Dakota State on Jan. 6. Duffy shot at a 49 percent clip during the month while making 43 percent from outside the arc. She became the Coyotes' 26th 1,000-point scorer in program history during the month as well.
 
The Coyotes went 6-1 during the stretch to sit atop the league standings. South Dakota boasts a 20-3 overall record this season and are the first team out of the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls.
 
Duffy becomes the third Coyote to garner the Summit League Athlete of the Month for the 2018-19 season, joining cross country senior Eldon Warner (October) and volleyball senior Taylor Wilson (November).
 
The Coyotes host a pair of Summit League games this week inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Omaha visits at 7 p.m. Wednesday while Oral Roberts comes to town for a 1 p.m. tip-off on Saturday.