VERMILLION, S.D.—UT Martin freshman Sharnecce Currie-Jelks scored a game-high 23 points and Paige Pipkin scored 11 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Skyhawks close out South Dakota 67-61 Wednesday inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
 
UT Martin has won two of three to improve to 4-6 on the season. The Skyhawks scored a 12-point win at the SEC's Vanderbilt to kick off a four-game road trip and rebounded from a 75-36 blowout loss at South Dakota State on Monday. They stay on the road to face Missouri State Saturday.
 
South Dakota had three score in double figures but lost its sixth consecutive game to fall to 4-7. It was the Coyotes' final non-conference tilt and third straight home defeat. They host Kansas City Monday and Oral Roberts next Wednesday to begin Summit League play.
 
Grace Larkins scored nine of her 12 points in the first half for South Dakota and the Coyotes led 30-27 at the break. But Seygan Robins ended the half with her fourth 3-point basket and hit a fifth 3 early in the third quarter that gave UT Martin the lead. That momentum shift carried throughout the third quarter.
 
Currie-Jelks had 11 points in the third quarter and the Skyhawks outscored the Coyotes 22-10 in the frame. South Dakota was just 2-of-11 from the field in that span. The only thing that stopped Currie-Jelks were fouls and she picked up her fourth with three minutes to go in the third.
 
Enter Anaya Brown who scored all 10 of her points in the second half and finished with 11 rebounds for the Skyhawks. Then it was Pipkin who answered the call.
 
When Nicole Avila-Ambrosi buried a triple to pull South Dakota within five at 53-48 with seven minutes left, Pipkin responded with a 3. After Carssidy Carson and Larkins scored back-to-back buckets to make it a four-point game, Pipkin countered with a tough layup on the other end. And when Macy Guebert hit a 3-pointer to make it 58-55 with less than five minutes to go, Pipkin scored again.
 
Still South Dakota had possessions down the stretch to draw closer but couldn't do so. The Coyotes made 2-of-7 shots inside the final four minutes and had two costly turnovers. The Skyhawks made 7-of-8 from the free-throw line down the stretch to close it out.
 
It was another tough shooting night that doomed South Dakota. The Coyotes were 8-of-27 from beyond the arc and shot 37 percent in all. South Dakota ranked inside the top-10 nationally in three-point percentage for much of the early part of this season but are 21-of-80 in these last three games at home.
 
Carson was the brightest star for USD and set a new career-high for points for the third straight game. The redshirt freshman was 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-5 from deep while playing a season-best 29 minutes. Jeniah Ugofsky was 7-of-8 from the free-throw line and finished with 11 points and four rebounds.