The Game
No. 24/18 South Dakota women's basketball hosts Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 p.m. Friday inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, South Dakota.
 
The Coyotes
No. 24/18 South Dakota (17-2, 6-0) has run past its first six Summit foes by an average of nearly 35 points per game to become the last remaining undefeated Summit team atop the standings. With its hot start, South Dakota boasts both the league's top scoring offense and defense. The Coyotes have held three-straight opponents to under 50 points. South Dakota's been smothering the Summit's shooters, holding league foes to 24 percent in league play. The Coyotes wrap up January with five of eight Summit home games this weekend. South Dakota boasts a 52-4 record inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
 
The Mastodons
Purdue Fort Wayne (4-14, 0-5) has played teams close, getting off to a series of quick starts, but remain winless in Summit play. Last time out for the Mastodons, Purdue Fort Wayne held Oral Roberts without a field goal for the first six minutes of the game. The Dons jumped out to a 16-1 lead in the contest. In their league opener against South Dakota, Purdue Fort Wayne led by four points in the second quarter before the Coyotes ran away with the game after halftime. Purdue Fort Wayne leading scorer Hannah Albrecht has not returned since sustaining a head injury back on Jan. 5. The senior guard averages 15 points and a team-high three assists per game. In her absence the three games since, Riley Ott and Anna Lappenkuper have taken over. The pair have averaged 20 points apiece during the stretch.
 
The Series
South Dakota leads the series with Purdue Fort Wayne 16-3. The Coyotes have won 14-straight games dating back to 2014. This is the second meeting between the two teams in Summit play this season. South Dakota took round one 62-41 back on New Year's Day in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
 
One Last Thing
Senior guard Ciara Duffy is the national leader for 3-point percentage (51.4) amongst those who have made 35 or more 3-pointers. Duffy was announced as one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award for community, classroom, character and competition earlier this year. As a team, the Coyotes are second in the nation behind the arc.