OMAHA, Neb. – South Dakota women's basketball is set to take on Omaha Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Baxter Arena.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
• South Dakota women's basketball against Omaha will be available to watch on the Summit League Network.
• Fans can listen to the Coyotes on KVHT 106.3 FM on the Coyote Sports Network with the voice of the Coyotes Jerry Palleschi on the broadcast.
 
KEY STORYLINES
• South Dakota is 4-1 in conference play for the first time since the 2022-23 season.
• The Coyotes are on their third win streak of three or more games this season entering Thursday's game and have won six of their last seven games.
• Jenna Hopp has started two of the last three games after missing three games due to injury and coming off the bench in her return against Kansas City. Thursday against UND, she scored seven points and added four rebounds in the win.
• In USD's 14 wins so far this season, they've won by 20+ points 11 times, meanwhile USD's first loss by double digits came to Oral Roberts.
• The Coyotes have distributed the wealth on the scoring front this season, with 12 of their 14 players who have played scoring in double figures at least once.
• Molly Joyce has scored 20+ points in four of five conference games, leading the Summit League in scoring during conference play with 20.2 points per contest.
• Joyce passed 1,000 career points Saturday against Denver.
• South Dakota and Omaha split their season series last year, each winning on their home floor. In USD's home game against Omaha last season, Grace Larkins broke the USD single game scoring record with 45 points in the win.
 
INSIDE THE OMAHA SERIES
• The Coyotes and Mavericks meet for the 94th time in series history.
• The Yotes and Mavericks are old Division II North Central Conference foes have been Summit League rivals since the 2012-13 season.
• Despite losing two of their last three to the Mavs, USD holds a 24-4 advantage as Summit League rivals.
• South Dakota's 24 wins over Omaha is its most wins against a Summit League opponent.
• South Dakota is 22-22 overall in Omaha, but in the Summit League era of this rivalry USD is 10-2 at the home of the Mavs.
• Last season's loss in Omaha was the first time USD had lost to the Mavs in Omaha since a 69-61 loss during the 2013-14 season
• Omaha is South Dakota's second most common opponent in program history. The only school USD has faced more in program history is South Dakota State (103 meetings).
• The first meeting between the Coyotes and Mavericks came 50 seasons ago (1976-77), where Omaha beat South Dakota 74-38 in the New Armory in Vermillion.
 
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
• First year head coach Jamie Carey has had a rocky first season in Omaha as the Mavericks are 2-19 overall and 0-6 in Summit League.
• The Mavericks had a list of injuries in the non-conference, including losing their leading scorer, Cora Olsen (17.3 ppg).
• Saral Estupiñan has taken over the lead on the offensive front, leading Omaha at 13.0 points per game.
Regan Juenemann averages 10.1 points per game off the bench for the Mavs.
• While not scoring in bunches (2.6 ppg), Avril Smith leads the Summit League in rebounding with 231 rebounds (11.0 per game).
• USD and Omaha had three shared non-conference opponents (Kansas State, Idaho State, College of Saint Mary), with USD going 3-0 against those teams and Omaha going 1-2.

RECORD VS THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
• The Coyotes have five Summit League regular season titles and four tournament championships since joining the conference in 2011 and have finished in the top four in the conference every season except one.
• South Dakota is 192-72 against the Summit League (previously Mid-Continent Conference) in program history.
• USD has winning records against seven of the eight current conference foes as members of the Summit League
• South Dakota has 20 or more Summit League wins against four current members in Summit League play history: Omaha (24), Denver (23), North Dakota State (22), and Oral Roberts (21).
 
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 115-26 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 60-14 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 (9-0) 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 seven programs with at least nine 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).
 
CAREER MARKS
• Career bests set against Denver Saturday.
• Patience Williams totaled 21 points, her first career 20-point scoring game, making 10 field goals.
• Jenna Hopp matched a career best with six rebounds.
• Molly Joyce passed 1,000 career points in the win Saturday.
 
SEASON HIGHS LAST TIME OUT
• Season highs set Saturday against Denver:
• Angelina Robles matched a season best with six assists in a season-high 40 minutes.
 
MILESTONE CHASING
• A handful of Coyotes are looking to reach some career milestones this season.
• Molly Joyce passed 1,000 career points in just her third collegiate season. She currently has 228 points as a Coyote.
• Josie Hill is nearing 1,000 career points, currently at 943 (113 as a Yote).
• She is also closing in on 400 made field goals in her NCAA career, currently at 393.
• Angelina Robles passed 900 career points at St. Thomas, and now sits at 933 on her chase for 1,000.
• She's also reached 200 career assists Saturday against Denver, now at 205.
• Robles' three steals against Denver put her over 100 in her career.
• Tori Schlagel took 16 collegiate games to reach 100 career points, passing that total against Oral Roberts.
• Josie Hill played in her 100th career NCAA basketball game against Denver.
• Turrubiates passed 1,000 career points including NJCAA stats earlier this season, but is closing in on 800 NCAA points, currently with 792.
• Patience Williams reached exactly 400 points in her NCAA career Thursday against North Dakota.
She could also reach 400 career rebounds this season, needing 5.
 
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.
• USD is ranked 20th nationally and is atop the Summit League in rebounding at 43.1 rebounds per game.
• The Coyotes are getting it done on both ends of the floor, ranking second in the conference in offensive rebounds at 13.1 per game, and ranking 13th nationally (second in the SL) in defensive rebounds at 30.1 per game.
• USD has outrebounded its opponents in 13 games this season.
• South Dakota broke the SCSC record for rebounds in a game for a second time this season against College of Saint Mary, totaling 63.
• The Coyotes previously set an SCSC record with 62 rebounds against Valparaiso.
• Patience Williams is 5th in the Summit League (98th in the NCAA) in total rebounds with 146. Her 7.7 rebounds per game is 6th in the Summit League and 143rd in the NCAA.
 
DEFENSE WINS
• South Dakota has been the best defensive team in the Summit League this season, holding opponents to 55.4 points per game.
• The Coyotes lead the Summit League in scoring defense (55.4), field goal percentage defense (32.8%), and three-point percentage defense (27.3%).
• The Coyotes also rank inside the top 20 nationally in three categories: 4th in FG% defense, 13th in defensive rebounds, and 17th in scoring defense.
• South Dakota has held opponents under 30% shooting in seven 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 18.5 points per game (27th in Division I).  
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