SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Junior guard
Grace Larkins scored a season-high 29 points in leading South Dakota to a 70-57 win over St. Thomas in the Summit League Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
South Dakota (21-11) advances to the Summit League Tournament's semifinals for the 10th time in 12 seasons.
Larkins finished with 29 points, eight rebounds and four assists. She was 10-of-10 from the free-throw line for the second-straight game and third time this season. Larkins has moved into a tie for 17th on USD's career scoring charts with alumna Stacy Kracht '91. She also moved into ninth for single-season assists during the game.
Larkins was joined in double-figures by third-year sophomore forward
Carley Duffney with 13 points and seven rebounds. Fourth-year sophomore center
Natalie Mazurek pulled down a career high 12 rebounds. South Dakota was without second-leading scorer
Kendall Holmes in the game, whose father Darius passed away earlier this week.
St. Thomas (15-16) was led by guard Amber Scalia's 22 points with 20 in the fourth quarter alone. Jordyn Glynn joined her in double-figures with 11 points.
South Dakota's defense held St. Thomas to five points for the first 14 minutes of the game. The Coyotes started off the second half on a 14-3 run to extend USD's lead to 38-18.
Scalia's run began with less than eight minutes to play. She scored all 12 points on a 12-2 run by St. Thomas to cut into the Coyotes' lead, making back-to-back threes to close the gap to 54-46.
The Coyotes went 16-of-16 from the free-throw line down the stretch to hold off the late run by St. Thomas.
South Dakota shot 35 percent (21-of-60) from the field and made 92.3 percent (24-of-26) from the stripe. St. Thomas shot 34.4 percent (21-of-61) from the floor and made 6-of-11 (.545) from the line.
The Coyotes also outrebounded the Tommies 51 to 27 with 15 offensive boards.
South Dakota advances to the semifinals of the Summit League Tournament and faces top-seeded South Dakota State at 12:30 p.m. Monday inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls.
