Put balance, talent and experience on the court this time of year in an opening round Summit League tournament game, chances are the end result is going to be pretty close to the kind of game a coach would both desire and expect.
This was the case for the University of South Dakota women on Saturday afternoon at the Premier Center, where USD posted a 74-51 win over the Bison, defeating NDSU (7-22) for the third time this season.
The second-seeded Coyotes were playing a team they'd defeated by a combined 45 points in their two regular-season matchups. While it was not automatic win – the Bison had their moments in the second half after falling behind by as many as 32 points – it was delivered with a certainty that begged for at least a little bit of explanation.
When the Coyotes really get going, when an opposing team is getting dismantled and there's just not that much they can do about it, it can be difficult to pick out exactly what it is that is causing the score to keep motoring along.
Beyond the faces, the names and the numbers, what is it that makes the Coyotes a 27-4 team heading into Monday's semifinals?
"What I love about this group of young ladies is their selflessness and their team-first mentality," USD coach
Dawn Plitzuweit said. "It's also about the desire to continue to be hungry and get better. They can look at it and say we've done a pretty good job but how do we continue to improve? They have an eagerness to be coached and to make steps forward."
That eagerness to be coached has translated more specifically into a strong appetite for defense, rebounding and passing the ball. From the outside looking in – let's say you're the Bison trying to post a first-round upset – that is a troubling box of tools.
"They're not only physical, they share the ball very well," said NDSU coach Maren Walseth. "If you focus on one player or one aspect of the game – let's say that it's the three – then they do a great job of getting the ball inside. They go to their post players or any player posting up. They're also very good in the straight-line drives."
Allison Arens, who scored 18 points after scoring just two a week ago against NDSU, hit 7-of-8 from the field with some of them straight-line drives. In addition,
Hannah Sjerven made the Bison hurt from the post, scoring 20 points in just 19 minutes.
"From our perspective, they can score from all three levels at a very high rate," Walseth continued. "It makes them very dangerous to play against. Hopefully for our league we'll get them a win, if not two wins, in the NCAA tournament."
Opposing coaches have the luxury of forecasting success for teams that are still a long way from achieving an NCAA bid. It's a good bit of assurance for Coyote fans, nevertheless.
"We do a really good job sharing the ball," said Arens, the team's lone senior. "There's no selfishness for the other team to find. We work so well together."
The Coyotes had four players hit double-figures with only a cold streak from the perimeter – USD hit 7-of-25 from the arc after starting out hot -- keeping the contest from really getting out of hand.
Another point made by the Bison was how physical the Coyotes play basketball. It's hard to define but there is a difference between playing rough and playing aggressively. Any team can decide it's time to start shoving people around. The good teams get to spots first, then hold their ground.
While tournament games are often uniformly rougher than regular-season games, the squads that can effectively and consistently make aggressiveness part of a team's personality tend to be able to overcome tough shooting nights better than the rest.
The Coyotes made 21-of-35 shots from inside the arc, so shooting wasn't really a problem, especially when coupled with how they've gone about their business in all those other categories.
"Coach Plitzuweit and her staff get their players to buy into what they do really well," Walseth said. "It's not so much adjusting and adapting to different styles of play. I think their depth and their athleticism allows them to just be them, regardless of their opponent."
For more information on Saturday's game with a full recap, box score and photo gallery, click here.
