VERMILLION, S.D. – South Dakota women's basketball returns to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Saturday afternoon to take on Eastern Washington.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
• South Dakota women's basketball against Eastern Washington will be available to watch on the Summit League Network powered by Midco Sports Plus.
• Fans can listen to the Coyotes on KVTK 1570 AM/101.4 FM on the Coyote Sports Network with the voice South Dakota women's basketball Jerry Palleschi.
 
PROMOTIONS
• Fans are encouraged to join the Coyotes in wearing black Saturday. The first 250 students in attendance will receive a black tumbler.
• It's also Kids Club Day. Players will be signing autographs after the game for Kids Club members.
 
KEY STORYLINES
• South Dakota returns home for their first home game in the month of December after an undefeated month of November inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
• USD is 5-0 at home this season so far, winning its five games inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center by an average 43.8 points per game.
• Eleven different Coyotes have scored in double figures so far this season despite using the same starting five in every game.
• South Dakota is looking to go 2-0 in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge for the first time in the three seasons of the challenge.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• The Coyotes rebounded from their first loss of the season by taking down Portland State 75-51 in Portland Wednesday night.
• Angelina Robles scored 20-plus points for a third straight game and a fourth time this season, pouring in a season-high 23 in the win.
• Alex Flattery scored a season-best 11 points, including three second half three-pointers.
• Four Coyotes scored in double figures for the eighth time this season. Patience Williams scored 14 points and Elise Turrubiates 11 points.
• The Coyotes shot over 40% from three in a game for the first time this season, going 7-for-16 from deep. South Dakota held the Vikings to just 22% shooting from the field.

INSIDE THE EASTERN WASHINGTON SERIES
• The Coyotes and Eagles meet for the 1st time in series history.
• South Dakota and Eastern Washington are meeting for the first time in program history Saturday afternoon in Vermillion.
• In head coach Carrie Eighmey's lone season in the Big Sky Conference, conference champion Eastern Washington picked up a pair of wins over Eighmey's Idaho squad.
• The Eagles are 3-2 in Big Sky-Summit Challenge games.
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
• Eastern Washington is off to a 4-4 start this season and have alternated wins and losses over their last six games.
• The Eagles are 0-3 in true road games so far this season, most recently losing 73-58 at Portland on Nov. 30.
• Eastern Washington picked up a 66-65 home win over Denver Wednesday in the first night on the Big Sky-Summit Challenge.
• The Eagles are a disciplined team, leading the Big Sky in fewest fouls per game at 15.3. They also rebound well, ranking second in the BSC and 81st in the NCAA at 40.6 rebounds per game.
 
RECORD VS THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE
• Round three of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge will take place Wednesday and Saturday.
• South Dakota is 18-7 all-time against the Big Sky.
• USD has gone 3-2 in four previous Big Sky-Summit Challenge games.
• USD is looking to go 2-0 in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge for the first time.
• The Coyotes are undefeated against two Big Sky opponents: Portland State and Northern Arizona.

MID-MAJOR TOP 25
• South Dakota women's basketball has been ranked No. 1 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 ten times since joining the Division I ranks, and after a pair of road wins last week, the Coyotes have joined the rankings again after their longest stretch not receiving votes in a decade.
• The Coyotes moved up to No. 11 in this week's poll.
• South Dakota was ranked No. 23 and No. 16 in the two previous polls.
• South Dakota's first ranking in the poll since week 8 of the 2023-24 season (23rd) came on Nov. 18.
• USD is one of two Summit League schools ranked in the Top 25 (SDSU at No. 1). One other conference foe is receiving votes (NDSU).
 
CRASH THE GLASS
• The Coyotes have placed an emphasis on rebounding this season, and it has paid off so far as USD is one of the top rebounding teams in the country through nearly one month of the season.
• USD is ranked 16th nationally and is atop the Summit League in rebounding at 45.2 rebounds per game.
• The Coyotes are getting it done on both ends of the floor, ranking 60th in the country and leading the conference offensive rebounds at 14.4 per game, while ranking 15th nationally (third in the SL) in defensive rebounds at 30.8 per game.
• The Coyotes set an SCSC record with 62 rebounds against Valparaiso.
• One of the best rebounders in the country through the first month of the year is Patience Williams, who ranks 46th in the NCAA in total rebounds (81) and 65th in rebounds per game (9.0).
 
DEFENSE WINS
• Through the first three weeks of the season, South Dakota has been one of the best defensive teams in the country, holding opponents to 52.6 points per game.
• The Coyotes lead the Summit League in scoring defense (52.6), field goal percentage defense (30.3%), and three point percentage defense (25.0%).
• The Coyotes also rank inside the top 30 nationally in all of those category: 3rd in FG% defense, 25th in 3PT% defense, and 23rd in scoring defense.
• South Dakota has held opponents under 30% shooting in five of their eight games this season.
• USD's strong defense has allowed for them to have one of the nation's best scoring margins as the Coyotes outscore their opponents by an average of 26.4 points per game (23rd in Division I).
 
BUZZER-BEATER MAGIC
• In both South Dakota road games this season, the Coyotes hit three-pointers in the final seconds of the game to pick up one-point victories.
• At Kansas State, The Coyotes used a three-pointer from Patience Williams with just over one second left to take down the Wildcats 72-71.
• It was USD's first win over a Power 4 Conference school since the Coyotes defeated Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2022.
• The magic carried over to Pocatello, Idaho, where USD's Angelina Robles buried a game-winning three-pointer to give the Coyotes a 64-63 win.
• Robles led the Coyotes with 14 points in the game, and she went 4-for-6 from three, including two triples in the closing minutes to give the Yotes a win.
 
MILESTONE CHASING
• A handful of Coyotes are looking to reach some career milestones this season.
• Josie Hill is nearing 1,000 career points, currently at 891 (61 as a Yotes).
• Hill is also nearing another two milestones. She needs three blocks to get to 150 in her career and needs three more rebounds for 600.
• Molly Joyce could also reach 1,000 career points in just her third collegiate season. She has 857 points between her time at Truman State and USD.
• Angelina Robles reached 800 career points after a 23-point showing at Portland State
• Elise Turrubiates reached two milestones at Portland State, 700 points and 500 rebounds.
• Alex Flattery reached 100 career boards at Portland State.
 
10 YEARS OF SCSC SUCCESS
• South Dakota women's basketball is in its 10th season of calling the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, a building that has treated the Yotes well, home.
• USD is 112-24 inside the SCSC since the building opened in 2016.*
• The Coyotes have had a winning record in the SCSC in 8 of the 9 seasons played in the SCSC.
• South Dakota has a record of 58-13 against Summit League foes in the SCSC, including a winning record against all eight current foes.
• USD is undefeated against two Summit League opponents in the building: North Dakota (8-0) and Kansas City (4-0)
• South Dakota has had two undefeated seasons at home during the SCSC era: 2018-19 and 2020-21.
• USD's first win against a Top 25 opponent during the Div. I era came in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center (No. 23/22 Iowa State on Nov. 28, 2018).
 
THE TRANSFER PORTAL ERA
• Over 1,500 women's basketball players entered the transfer portal following the 2024-25 season. USD is one of at least six programs with 13+ newcomers.
• USD is one of at least seven programs with 13+ newcomers.
• USD is one of at least 7 programs with at least 9 transfers.
• Seven of USD's nine transfers come from Div. I programs, including two from Summit League foes.
• South Dakota's transfers hail from 6 states: California (1), Iowa (4), Minnesota (1), New Mexico (1), South Dakota (1), and Washington (1).
   
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