FARGO, N.D.—No. 25/21 South Dakota jumped out to a 53-11 first-half lead en route to defeating North Dakota State 80-36 Thursday night inside the Scheels Center.
 
"Tonight we were really efficient offensively, but that started because we were really locked in on the defensive end in the first half," said USD head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. "We now have to quickly recover and prepare for our game on Saturday afternoon.
 
"Remember to wear red and pack the Sanford Coyote Sports Center on Saturday!"
 
The No. 25/21 South Dakota (16-2, 5-0 Summit) defense held North Dakota State (3-12, 0-4) to a stingy 36 points. It marked the lowest point total by a Coyote foe this season.
 
Senior guard Ciara Duffy led the way with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting. She also grabbed eight boards, handed out three assists and stole the ball twice. It marked Duffy's seventh 20-point game of the season.
 
Junior guard Monica Arens was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field with four treys for 18 points. She also handed out three assists. Junior center Hannah Sjerven added 14 points with four boards and a pair of blocks.
 
Senior guard Madison McKeever tallied eight points, five rebounds and handed out a season-high four assists. Eleven Coyotes scored in the game.
 
Through the first two periods, the Coyotes were shooting a stellar 61.8 percent while holding the Bison to 13 percent. South Dakota used a 16-point run to start the game 23-3, shooting 75 percent in the first.
 
Entering the fourth quarter, no Bison had scored more than one basket in the game. Freshman guard Ryan Cobbins went 5-for-5 in the fourth quarter for 13 of her team-high 15 points. She increased the Bison's efficiency to 25 percent from the field by the end of the game.
 
No. 25/21 South Dakota returns home to host South Dakota State at 1 p.m. Saturday inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. It will be a battle between the last two undefeated teams in Summit play this season. Tickets for the rivalry showdown are still available on GoYotes.com.