Coyotes tip-off with No. 1 South Carolina this Saturday

The Game

South Dakota opens the season with the No. 1 team in the country, South Carolina, at 2 p.m. Saturday as a part of the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. While no fans will be permitted in attendance due to precautions involving the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the game will be broadcast by FloHoops (subscription required). Fans can also tune in to the Coyote Sports Network with Carter Woodiel on KVHT 106.3 FM in Yankton/Vermillion or by using the TuneIn app.

FloHoops is a subscription service available in both annual ($150/year) and monthly ($29.99/month) packages. The subscription provides exclusive content such as live events, replays and original programming. To stream to a television, download the FloSports app on AppleTV, Roku or Fire TV, or screen cast to a smart TV.

The Coyotes

South Dakota (0-0) tips off its 50th season of women's basketball and its fifth under head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. There's nothing like starting off with a challenge and the Coyotes do just that this year – this marks the first time the Coyotes will play the No. 1 team in Division I and the first time the program will play back-to-back AP Top 25 opponents. The defending Summit champs are led by preseason Summit Player of the Year Hannah Sjerven. Senior teammates Chloe Lamb and Monica Arens join her on the preseason all-Summit teams.

The Gamecocks

No. 1/1 South Carolina (1-0) has been the top-ranked team for 11 consecutive AP polls. The Gamecocks opened the season with a throttling 119-38 win over College of Charleston and enter the tournament riding a nation-leading 27-game win streak. The reigning SEC champs are led by an impressive sophomore class with all three returning starters making preseason watch lists. Sophomore Aliyah Boston, a 6-foot-5 center, is unanimous preseason All-America and on the watch lists for the Naismith trophy, Wade trophy and Lisa Leslie Award.

The Series

In the lone meeting between the two programs, South Carolina came out on top 73-60 in front of 10,000 fans on their home court. The Coyotes were the lone nonconference foe to reach 60 points inside Colonial Life Arena.