OMAHA, Neb. — It was a tightly contested battle for most of the first three quarters, but a 14-0 run to end the third and open the fourth quarter for the home team resulted in a 71-57 loss for South Dakota Thursday night in Baxter Arena in Omaha.
 
After an Alexi Hempe three-pointer made the score 45-42 with 1:09 to play, a 14-0 run for the Mavericks opened a 59-42 lead with 6:56 to play in the fourth. While South Dakota was able to make it a six-point game with three-minutes on the clock, the comeback fell short.
 
Foul trouble for the Coyotes made the second half a bit more difficult as Gabby Wilke finished with four fouls in the game and Grace Larkins fouled out with 3:28 to play. After Larkins' foul out, the Coyotes managed three points in the final 3:28, coming on Carley Duffney's made basket plus free throw from a foul on the shot. The Coyotes didn't score over the final three minutes.
 
The first half was a tightly contested contest, with the Mavs holding a one-point edge at the intermission. USD led by as much as six in the first half. South Dakota's lone win when trailing at the half came against Omaha earlier this season, but the come-from-behind win was not in the cards Thursday night.
 
Alexi Hempe continued to heat up as her final season in Coyote red nears a close, scoring 20 points, including six triples, to pace the Yotes. It was Hempe's fifth 20-point game this season and first since Jen. 4 at Oral Roberts. She scored 11 of the Coyotes' 17 points in the second quarter.
 
Larkins, who scored 45 points in Vermillion when these two met earlier this season, scored 13 points Thursday night. She added seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and tied a career-high three blocks. Carley Duffney added nine points and Wilke contributed eight points.
 
South Dakota heads up to St. Paul, Minnesota to take on St. Thomas Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
NOTABLES
• South Dakota is now 11-17 on the season, 5-9 in conference play, and 1-9 on the road.
• Alexi Hempe scored 20 points, her fifth 20-point game of the season and her career.
• Three of Hempe's five 20-points games have come in conference play.
• Grace Larkins filled the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and three blocks.