SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota women's basketball starts the march to the Summit League Championship Friday afternoon, as the Coyotes are set to take on Denver in the Summit League Quarterfinals Friday afternoon at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
• South Dakota's quarterfinal with Denver will start 25 minutes after the first quarterfinal of Friday's session between Oral Roberts and St. Thomas concludes.
• South Dakota women's basketball against Denver will be available to watch Midco Sports and 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.
 
FAN INFORMATION
• Tickets are still available for Friday's game at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls.
• USD students can claim free tickets courtesy of President Gestring. Show your student ID at the USD table in the lobby of the PREMIER Center to claim your ticket.
• Fans are also encouraged to join in the Coyote Walk at 1 p.m. Friday outside of the USD Hospitality Room in the in the convention center connected to the PREMIER Center.

THE BRACKET
• South Dakota and Denver will meet in the 3/6 matchup of the Summit League Tournament. The winner will face the winner of the 2/7 game between South Dakota State and Kansas City on Saturday.
• On the other side of the bracket, the top seeded Bison will face the winner of Omaha and North Dakota in the quarterfinals. The final quarterfinal is the 4/5 game between Oral Roberts and St. Thomas.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNEY TIME
• South Dakota has earned the No.3 seed in the Summit League Tournament, and will start its weekend Friday against No. 6 Denver, a team USD defeated by double-digits in both regular season meetings.
• The Coyotes have had plenty of postseason success at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, winning four Summit League crowns and making it to the championship game an additional five times.
• South Dakota is a top-three seed in the Summit League Tournament for a ninth time, but the first time since the 2021-22 season.
• South Dakota has finished 3rd in the regular season standings two previous times, but wasn't eligible for the conference tournament the first time (2011-12). In their lone trip to Sioux Falls as a three-seed, USD made a run to the championship game, where they lost to SDSU 56-53 in the title game.
• In first round games in the Summit League Tournament, South Dakota is 10-3 all-time.
• South Dakota's first ever Summit League Tournament game was as a three-seed in 2012-13, defeating No. 6 NDSU 73-53.
• South Dakota has a winning record against every opponent it has faced in the Summit League tournament but one. The Coyotes are also undefeated in Sioux Falls against five current conference foes.
 
INSIDE THE DENVER SERIES
• The Coyotes and Pioneers meet for the 30th time in series history.
• This is the third time South Dakota and Denver meet in the Summit League Tournament with USD being 2-0 in previous matchups in Sioux Falls.
• South Dakota and Denver's first meeting in the Summit League Tournament was in the 2013-14 Championship game, an 82-71 win for USD.
• The Coyotes swept the regular season series with wins by 20 in Vermillion and 11 in Denver.
• Four Coyotes averaged 10+ points in two games against Denver this season: Patience Williams (13.5), Molly Joyce (12.5), Angelina Robles (11.5), and Elise Turrubiates (10.0).
• Williams has averaged a double-double against the Pios with 13.5 points and 14.0 rebounds.
• Coryn Watts averaged 17 points in two games against the Coyotes this season. Victoria added 12 points per game.
• This is the final time South Dakota and Denver will meet at Summit League foes, as Denver is leaving the Summit League after this academic year.
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
• The Pioneers were able to claim the No. 6 seed with a 5-11 conference record.
• Denver has one all-conference performer this season as Coryn Watts was named a first team all-Summit League.
• Watts averaged 19.8 points on 40.1% shooting, including a league most 50 made three-pointers during conference play.
• The Pioneers enter the Summit League Tournament winning two of their last three games, but prior to that had lost six conference games in a row.
• The Pioneers will look to hold their former teammate, Angelina Robles, in check. In two games against Denver this season, Robles has averaged 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, but has only shot 20.8% from the field and 0-for-7 from three.

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 200-75 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 (26), 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 119-27 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 64-15 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 (5-0).
• 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).
 
MILESTONE CHASING
• A handful of Coyotes are looking to reach some career milestones this season.
• Three Coyotes have passed 1,000 collegiate points: Molly Joyce, Angelina Robles, and Josie Hill
• Patience Williams has reached 50 blocks and need six steals for 100 in her career.
• Olivia Moore needs eight points for 300 in her NCAA career.
 
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
• The Summit League announced their postseason awards Tuesday, prior to the start of the conference tournament. Molly Joyce was named the Newcomer of the Year.
• Joyce was also named second team all-Summit League and to the all-Newcomer Team.
• She averaged 15.8 points while shooting .396/.393/.864 during league play. She added 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
• Her 86.4% from the free throw line was third in the league.
• She scored over 20-plus points in the first four games of conference play, and six times total, and scored 10-plus in 14 of the 16 conference games, ranking sixth in the conference in scoring.
• She is the third Coyote to win this award, joining Caitlin Duffy (2015-16) and Hannah Sjerven (2018-19).
 
FIRST TEAM ALL-SUMMIT
• After receiving preseason second team all-conference honors this season, Angelina Robles showed out, and earned herself a first team all-Summit League honor as a senior.
• Robles shined as the Yote point guard, totaling 16.4 points and 3.6 assists during league play. Both numbers were best on the team and top five in the league.
• She ranked fifth in scoring and second in assists during league play, shooting .394/.375/.853.
• Ranks fourth in the league in free throw percentage.
• She also tallied 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
 
ALL-NEWCOMER & HONORABLE MENTION
• Elise Turrubiates made her impact on South Dakota women's basketball this season, and received all-Newcomer and all-Summit League honorable mention honors for her performance.
• Turrubiates totaled 7.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game during conference play. She also averaged 1.6 steals.
• Her 7.9 rebounds are tied for fifth in the league during conference play and her 1.6 steals is tied for fourth.
 
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 43rd nationally and is atop the Summit League in rebounding at 40.6 rebounds per game.
• The Coyotes are getting it done on both ends of the floor, ranking second in the conference in offensive rebounds at 11.8 per game, and ranking 19th nationally (second in the SL) in defensive rebounds at 28.8 per game.
• USD has outrebounded its opponents in 20 games this season, going 19-1 in those games.
• 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 58.4 points per game.
• The Coyotes lead the Summit League in scoring defense (58.4), field goal percentage defense (35.6%), and three-point percentage defense (28.5%).
• The Coyotes also rank inside the top 50 nationally in three categories: 12th in FG% defense, 19th in defensive rebounds, 39th in scoring defense.
• South Dakota has held opponents under 30% shooting in eight games this season.  
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