VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota senior guard
Liv Korngable drilled a game-tying 3-pointer with 14 seconds to play, but Oklahoma's Madi Williams scored at the rim in the final five seconds to give the Sooners a 73-71 edge Tuesday night inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in front of 3,106 fans.
Oklahoma (1-0) ends a 20-game home winning streak for South Dakota (0-1) that dates back to November of 2019. It was just the fifth loss on Abbott Court for the Coyotes, who are now 65-5 all-time inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
"We showed a great deal of toughness and togetherness against a very good opponent tonight," said USD head coach
Dawn Plitzuweit. "In order to continue to grow as a team, we have to learn quickly from this game and prepare for our game in the Sanford Pentagon on Friday night."
Korngable dropped a game-high 22 points, two shy of her career high. She also dished out six of the Coyotes' 13 assists. Senior center
Hannah Sjerven added 18 points, 13 boards, six blocks and three assists. Senior guard
Chloe Lamb was the third Coyote in double-figures with 18 points.
Oklahoma was led by Williams and Ana Llanusa with 19 points apiece. Guard Taylor Robertson, the nation's active leader in 3-pointers per game, added 17 points and eight boards.
There were nine lead changes and eight tie-ups during the game. Oklahoma made 40.3 percent (27-of-67) from the floor and South Dakota hit 38.8 percent (26-of-67). The Coyotes shot 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from the free-throw line in the game.
The Coyotes have the nation's top-ranked team on deck. No. 1/1 South Carolina and South Dakota face off at 6 p.m. Friday inside the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. It's the second half of a double-header showcase that features No. 6 Louisville versus No. 22 Arizona in the first game at 3:30 p.m.
