VERMILLION, S.D. – South Dakota women's basketball opens a three-game home stand with Kansas City Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
• South Dakota women's basketball against South Dakota State will be available to watch on the Summit League Network powered by Midco Sports Plus.
• 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.
 
PROMOTIONS
• Thursday is the annual Pink Game as the Coyotes will wear their pink jerseys for breast cancer awareness.
• Four pink jerseys are being auctioned to raise money for the Dakota Hospital Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Vermillion committed to a mission of supporting community health and wellness. More information on the auctions can be found here.
 
KEY STORYLINES
• South Dakota women's basketball is currently on its third win streak of four-or-more games after defeating Denver and Oral Roberts on the road last week.
• The Coyotes scored a season-low 53 points but earned an 11-point win over Denver Thursday in the Mile High City. They responded by scoring their second most points in a conference game this season with a 74-69 win at ORU.
• In two of their last three wins, South Dakota has snapped seven game losing streaks to conference opponents: SDSU (1/31) and Oral Roberts (2/7).
• Angelina Robles tallied 25-plus points in each win, totaling 25 against the Jackrabbits and tying a career-high with 28 at ORU.
• Robles has scored 20+ points in three of the last four games, and won Summit League Peak Performer honors last week after wins vs St. Thomas and SDSU.
• Patience Williams averaged a double-double last week, totaling 12.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in a pair of road wins.
• In USD's 19 wins so far this season, they've won by 20+ points 12 times.
• Defensively, The Coyotes have been one of the nation's toughest teams to score on, ranking second in the NCAA in FG% defense (33.4%), 15th in scoring defense (55.6), and 21st in 3PT% defense.
 
INSIDE THE KANSAS CITY SERIES
• The Coyotes and Roos meet for the 19th time in series history.
• South Dakota has found success against Kansas City since becoming conference foes, first in 2011-12 and again in 2020-21.
• South Dakota is 13-3 against the Roos as Summit League foes, including a 10-game win streak that ended last season in KC.
• South Dakota has had relatively little trouble against the Roos in Vermillion, going 6-0 against KC at home, winning by an average of 15 points in those games.
• The last two home games for USD against Kansas City have been closer contests, with USD winning by 10 in 2023-24 and 7 last season.
• This is the second consecutive season that South Dakota has hosted Kansas City on February 12th for USD's annual Pink Game.
 
SCOUTING THE ROOS
• The last time these two teams played, it was USD's first conference game of the season and Kansas City's second. Now, the two sides meet with conference standing at play.
• South Dakota stands in second place, needing a win to continue its chase of NDSU for the top spot in the conference, while Kansas City is sixth at 4-7 in conference play, needing a win to tie ORU, who is fourth, in the win column.
• Dionnah Jackson-Durrett has managed a 1-6 record against South Dakota as the head coach of the Roos.
• In South Dakota's 67-47 win over the Roos in Kansas City earlier this season, Molly Joyce had a breakout 21 points, including going 4-for-6 from three.
• Kelby Bannerman came in off the bench against the Coyotes in their first meeting, totaling 10 points to be the lone Roo in double figures.
• Kansas City is the best offensive rebounding team in the Summit League so far this season with an average 13 o-boards per game.
• The Bennett sisters of Emani and Elauni are the leaders of the Roos. Emani Bennett averages 14.5 points and Elauni Bennett 13.4 points adn 7.2 rebounds.

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 197-73 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 (24), North Dakota State (22), and Oral Roberts (22).
 
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 117-26 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 62-14 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 Oral Roberts Saturday.
• Angelina Robles matched a career-high with 28 points, including a career-high 11 free throws made.
• Patience Williams matched a career-best with five made free throws.
 
SEASON HIGHS LAST TIME OUT
• Season highs set Saturday against Oral Roberts:
• Patience Williams tied a season-high with two blocks.
 
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 are currently ranked No. 23.
• South Dakota climbed one spot to No. 23 in this week's poll.
• After receiving votes in the last couple polls, USD re-entered the Top 25 at No. 24 Tuesday.
• South Dakota has ranked as high as No. 11 since joining the rankings on Nov. 18.
• 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 three Summit League schools ranked in the Top 25 (NDSU at No. 1, SDSU at No. 8).
 
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 292 points as a Coyote.
• She is also nearing 100 career three-pointers, currently at 97.
• Angelina Robles passed 1,000 career points against South Dakota State, totaling 25 points in the win. She has 385 points in a USD uniform.
• She also reached 300 career rebounds with six against ORU. She now stands at 303 in her career.
• Josie Hill is nearing 1,000 career points, currently at 989 (159 as a Yote).
• Turrubiates passed 1,000 career points including NJCAA stats earlier this season, but passed 800 NCAA points at Omaha, currently with 849.
• She reached 600 career rebounds at Denver, now at 619. She has also passed 200 career offensive rebounds.
• Patience Williams needs two blocks for 50 and 12 steals for 100 in her career.
• Olivia Moore needs 10 points for 300 in her NCAA career.
 
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 22nd nationally and is atop the Summit League in rebounding at 42.1 rebounds per game.
• The Coyotes are getting it done on both ends of the floor, ranking second in the conference in offensive rebounds at 12.3 per game, and ranking 9th nationally (first in the SL) in defensive rebounds at 29.8 per game.
• USD has outrebounded its opponents in 18 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.

DEFENSE WINS
• South Dakota has been the best defensive team in the Summit League this season, holding opponents to 55.6 points per game.
• The Coyotes lead the Summit League in scoring defense (55.6), field goal percentage defense (33.4%), and three-point percentage defense (26.5%).
• The Coyotes also rank inside the top 25 nationally in four categories: 2nd in FG% defense, 9th in defensive rebounds, 15th in scoring defense, 21st in 3PT% 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 16.1 points per game (30th in Division I).  
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