FARGO, N.D. – South Dakota women's basketball is set to take on North Dakota State Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Scheels Center.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
• South Dakota women's basketball against North Dakota State will be available to watch on the Summit League Network.
• Fans can listen to the Coyotes on KVTK 1570 AM/101.5 FM on the Coyote Sports Network with the voice of the Coyotes Jerry Palleschi on the broadcast.
 
KEY STORYLINES
• South Dakota is 5-1 or better in conference play for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
• The Coyotes are on their third win streak of three or more games this season entering Saturday's game and have won seven of their last eight games.
• Molly Joyce has scored 15 or more points in every conference game this season, including four 20-points games. She is second in scoring in the conference during conference play at 19.5 points per game.
• She recently passed 1,000 career points at Denver.
• In USD's 15 wins so far this season, they've won by 20+ points 12 times, meanwhile USD's first, and only, loss by double digits came to Oral Roberts on Jan. 8.
• 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.
• Angelina Robles has found a scoring groove over the last four games, averaging 15 points in those games and adding 4.8 assists. She also leads the Summit League in assists during conference play at 4.5 per game.
• Saturday is a battle of the No. 1 (USD) and No. 2 (NDSU) scoring defenses in the Summit League, and also the No. 1 (NDSU) and No. 2 (USD) teams in fewest turnovers in the Summit League.
 
INSIDE THE NORTH DAKOTA STATE SERIES
• The Coyotes and Bison meet for the 87th time in series history.
• A rivalry that started 49 seasons ago (1976-77) is renewed Saturday.
• The Bison have won the last six matchups between the two schools, but the Division I history of this matchup has been predominately controlled by South Dakota, who was  22-3 prior to this six game skid.
• Overall, South Dakota has a 22-9 advantage in the series since the two schools became Summit League foes.
• South Dakota is 13-26 overall in Fargo, and five of USD's nine Division I era losses to NDSU have come in Fargo.
• The Coyotes are trying to snap their longest losing streak to NDSU since a 32-game losing streak that lasted from 1985-86 to 2000-01.
• The first meeting between South Dakota and North Dakota State was on January 15, 1977, a 65-61 win for the Coyotes in the New Armory in Vermillion. It was Mary Zimmerman's first season as head coach of the Coyotes.
• Zimmerman went on to coach for six seasons, totaling an 85-64 record, including a 5-1 record against NDSU.
 
SCOUTING THE BISON
• In his seventh season leading the Bison, Jory Collins has North Dakota State atop of the Summit League with a 6-0 conference record and a 17-2 record overall.
• The Bison took the top spot in the Summit League standings with a win at South Dakota State a week ago, snapping SDSU's 67 game conference win streak.
• Avery Koenen has been the star of the NDSU show this season, totaling double-doubles in every conference game so far and winning six Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honors.
• Koenen was also named to the Becky Hammon Mi-Major Player of the Year Award Midseason Watch List as she is averaging 18.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.
• As a team, the Bison are an efficient 47.2% shooting from the field and get to the free throw line more than any team in the conference, attempting 23.5 free throws per game with an average of 18.11 makes.

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 193-72 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 (25), 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 Omaha Thursday.
• Molly Joyce tied a career best with two blocks against the Mavericks.
 
SEASON HIGHS LAST TIME OUT
• Season highs set Thursday against Omaha:
• Molly Joyce snatched a season best seven rebounds.
• Josie Hill matched her season's best with three assists.
• Patience Williams tied a season's best with two blocks.
 
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 244 points as a Coyote.
• She is also nearing 100 career three-pointers, currently at 93.
• Josie Hill is nearing 1,000 career points, currently at 953 (123 as a Yote).
• She is also closing in on 400 made field goals in her NCAA career, currently at 397.
• Angelina Robles passed 900 career points at St. Thomas, and now sits at 948 on her chase for 1,000.
• She's also reached 200 career assists Saturday against Denver, now at 208.
• 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.
• Turrubiates passed 1,000 career points including NJCAA stats earlier this season, but passed 800 NCAA points at Omaha, currently with 802.
• Patience Williams reached exactly 400 points in her NCAA career Thursday against North Dakota.
Williams also passed 400 rebounds at Omaha.
 
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 19th nationally and is atop the Summit League in rebounding at 42.9 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 12th nationally (second in the SL) in defensive rebounds at 29.9 per game.
• USD has outrebounded its opponents in 14 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 4th in the Summit League (87th in the NCAA) in total rebounds with 154. Her 7.7 rebounds per game is 5th in the Summit League and 139th in the NCAA.
 
DEFENSE WINS
• South Dakota has been the best defensive team in the Summit League this season, holding opponents to 54.6 points per game.
• The Coyotes lead the Summit League in scoring defense (54.6), field goal percentage defense (32.3%), and three-point percentage defense (26.7%).
• The Coyotes also rank inside the top 20 nationally in three categories: 3rd in FG% defense, 12th in defensive rebounds, and 13th in scoring defense.
• South Dakota has held opponents under 30% shooting in 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 19.0 points per game (25th in Division I).  
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