There is a spot on the Arens' family's outdoor basketball court at the farm, with its chain net and tilted concrete, where
Allison Arens claims she almost never misses.
"It was on an uphill slope right on the corner," the South Dakota Coyotes' lone senior said. "Or, from right behind the basket. We played a lot of PIG and I got it just right where I could throw it over the back of the hoop. I was money from there, too. I won a lot of PIG games that way."
This is
Allison Arens of the Arens sisters, a family basketball dynasty within the dynasty that is Crofton High School, where 40 miles from Vermillion, the girls basketball program has won eight state titles, including a string of five consecutive from 2012-2016.
Bridget, Allison and Monica – younger sister Alexis is currently playing at Crofton – have all played or are currently playing for a Coyote program that has been distinctively successful when there have been one or more Arens family members on the roster.
It's hardly a coincidence. In the middle of it all, both literally and figuratively as it applies to the Arens family's connection with USD, has been Allison, a 5-10 guard who has scored 1,316 points as a Coyote and has started 95 games over the last three years.
South Dakota is 77-20 over those three years with a 38-7 record in the Summit League going into Saturday's season-ending finale with North Dakota. While she'd be the last one to be anxious to claim any degree of credit for all that winning, the fact remains she's played a prominent role within an era of memorable Coyote success.
"She makes the competitive plays – she gets the big rebounds, makes big stops, goes after the basketball on the floor," USD coach
Dawn Plitzuweit said. "But a lot of times when players are like that, they have an emotional side to them that fans can see. That's not who Allison is. She's a quiet, confident, humble competitor."
It didn't start so great for her at USD. A lack of confidence led to a lack of playing time that first year. It was going to be tough to get many minutes in 2015-16 with the Coyotes loaded with the veterans that would famously win a WNIT title but she still left the season thinking she was capable of far better.
"There are going to be those days when you can't seem to do anything right," Arens said. "You feel like you want to quit. But those are the days that define you as a person. Those are the days you strengthen your character."
Her character was confirmed almost immediately the next season. She ended her sophomore year averaging more than 17 points a game, quickly establishing herself as one of the best guards in the Summit League.
Though the Coyotes are no longer so dependent on her scoring these days, she's remained at an elite level for a team that has cracked the Top 25 nationally for the first time in USD history.
"I think we all have the desire to win," she said. "We're not playing for ourselves right now, we're playing for the team. We want to do well for the community, we want to do well for each individual. That's something you don't find on every team. I think you can just tell when you go on the court. Everyone is excited, we just want to play. We don't care who scores the points."
In addition to being an excellent student, Arens draws and paints when she has the time. She also has developed an affinity for designing and constructing wedding cakes, making her perhaps the first Summit League player in history to be able to count this as a verifiable skill.
"My brother was getting married and they were looking for someone to do it," Arens said. "My mom said 'Well, Allison could do it.' And I thought, well how hard can it be?"
There was a woman in town who used to make cakes who gave Arens some pointers that helped her out but even so, that first one was good to get out of the way.
"You would not believe how stressful it is to make a wedding cake," she said. "Getting it all to sit up just right? Oh gosh, there's so much more to it than I thought."
She consulted with her soon-to-be sister-in-law, who had some ideas but gave the cakemaker plenty of latitude.
"I followed her idea it and it kind of came together," Arens said. "I had a family friend help and we layered it and it worked. But oh man, I didn't sleep at all that night. It was good to see them finally cut it and shove it in each other's face and then take it apart and cut it all up. Then I relaxed."
An education major, she's going to do her student teaching next year. She also may have a hand in making her own wedding cake – she is getting married June 1 to Shawn Koehler -- though her future mother-in-law is also an experienced cakemaker.
Basketball will remain a huge part of the next month for her and the Coyotes, who appear to be a good bet to get into the NCAA postseason either by winning the Summit League Tournament or by landing an at-large bid based on a season that included impressive non-conference wins over major college programs.
"Her teammates have so much love and respect for her," Plituzweit said. "They want this year to be as good as it can be for Allison. It's all about the team, but they see this as Allison's team. It's so authentic and genuine and caring, it's really fun to be around."
It will eventually come to a close with a senior season that has been both successful and meaningful.
"I realized it's not about the points, not about the assists, it's not about the stats," she said. "It's more about the relationships with your teammates and enjoying it and knowing that you did the best you could each game. I grew up a lot as a person this year."
South Dakota women's basketball hosts North Dakota at 1 p.m. Saturday in the first half of a doubleheader. Arens will be honored prior to tip-off for senior day.
