The Game

South Dakota tips off with Wichita State at 6 p.m. Thursday inside the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (subscription required). Fans can also tune in to the Coyote Sports Network with Carter Woodiel on KVTK 101.5 FM or 1570 AM in Yankton/Vermillion or by using the TuneIn app.
 

The Coyotes

South Dakota (1-2) hits the road after earning the first win of the season with an 89-52 rout of Lipscomb on Sunday. Senior Hannah Sjerven scored 25 points in an efficient 18 minutes this Sunday, including scoring the Coyotes' first nine points of the game. She became the third NCAA Division I player to rack up 25 or more points in less than 20 minutes. Senior Liv Korngable's transition from role player to leading scorer has been the story to watch through the first three games. She's averaging 18 points and a league-leading six assists per game. Coyote head coach Dawn Plitzuweit enters Thursday's game needing just one win to reach 300 career victories.
 

The Shockers

Wichita State (3-1) spends the entirety of its nonconference slate at home inside Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers dropped a 93-91 double-overtime contest to Northern Iowa on Sunday, with a last-second jumper by UNI giving Wichita State its first loss of the season. Junior forward Asia Strong is off to a solid start for the Shockers, averaging 17 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She's one of five Wichita State players averaging double-figures with a well-balanced offense.
 

The Series

The all-time series between South Dakota and Wichita State is tied 3-3 with the current streak trending in the Coyotes favor, having won three in a row. The two teams have met twice during Plitzuweit's tenure, with a Coyote win in Wichita in 2017-18 and USD victory at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls in 2018-19.
 

One Last Thing

Freshman Kyah Watson joined classmate Maddie Krull in the starting lineup on Sunday. It marked the first time South Dakota's started two freshmen in a game since the 2005-06 season. Watson nearly had a double-double in the game with nine points and a team-high 10 boards, while Krull has reached double-figure scoring in two of her first three games.