The Game
No. 22/22 South Dakota hosts Omaha in a league matchup at 1 p.m. Saturday inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, S.D.
 
#BeatType1
The Summit League and Sanford Health are teaming up to bring awareness to type 1 diabetes. During the month of January, all nine league institutions will host a #BeatType1 game in collaboration with Sanford and the league. For more information, visit thesummitleague.org/BeatType1
 
The Coyotes
No. 22/22 South Dakota (14-2, 3-0) re-entered the Associated Press Top 25 this week and continued its streak of six weeks in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Coyotes passed the century mark for the third time this season in their 104-61 win over Denver. The Coyotes hit 12 3-pointers, outscored the Pioneers 54-18 in the paint and put up 30 second-chance points. Senior guard Ciara Duffy, junior center Hannah Sjerven and senior forward Taylor Frederick all recorded double-doubles. It marked the first time in a decade that three players tallied a double-double in the same game. The battle of the boards has been a point of emphasis since the start of league play with South Dakota tallying a season-high 50 rebounds twice in three games. The Coyotes also grabbed an impressive 22 offensive boards against Denver.
 
The Mavericks
Omaha (6-10, 1-2) continues its road trip to the Dakotas, coming off a 63-57 loss at North Dakota on Thursday. A mid-game run put the Fighting Hawks up by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, but the Mavericks closed that lead down to four in the final minute. Mariah Murdie tallied 16 points, all in the second half, and pulled down 10 boards to lead the Mavs. The Mavericks return all five starters, but head coach Brittany Lange shook things up by moving Murdie and true freshman Ella Ogier into the lineup.
 
The Series
South Dakota leads the all-time series against former NCC foe Omaha 46-35. The Coyotes have won 19 of the last 21 against Omaha in the series, with the Mavericks' last win in Vermillion coming in overtime in 2006. The Coyotes won last year's meeting on Abbott Court 78-33 in a remarkable game that featured a 29-0 first quarter start.
 
One Last Thing
The Summit League remains one of the best 3-point shooting conferences in the nation. As a case in point, Omaha's attempted the least amount of treys in the Summit yet they still rank 89th (top-third) in the nation. The Coyotes sit fifth in the nation for 3-pointers made with 144.