Coyotes with Impressive Upset Over Summit League Co-Leaders

South Dakota got a big second second half for the third straight game, and pulled off a big upset at home, knocking off Summit League co-leader IUPUI 74-56, Saturday in Vermillion.

USD outscored the Jaguars 41-29 in the second 20 minutes and became just the fourth team all season to score 70 or more against IUPUI this season.

Raeshel Contreras scored 11 of her 16 points and Nicole Seekamp 12 of her 16 in the second half to key the USD offense. Seekamp had to fight for her 16, as she was just 3-of-10 from the floor.

The visitors went to their hot hand early as Jags guard Nicole Rogers drained a pair of 3-pointers to put IUPUI up by as many as eight.  Rogers had five 3-pointers in last Saturday's win over South Dakota State.

But the USD defense shut her out the rest of the half, as the Coyotes turned up the pressure, forcing eight Jaguar turnovers in the first 12 minutes.

Meanwhile the South Dakota offense was getting on track.  Kelly Stewart, Margaret McCloud, and Tia Hemiller each with baskets, then Polly Harrington with a 3-pointer and the Coyotes were on a 15-4 run to grab the lead.  They pushed that advantage to 33-27 at halftime.

USD had the six-point edge despite shooting only 36 percent in the first 20 minutes.  The difference in the half was free throw shooting - the Coyotes attempted 15, making 12; IUPUI attempted only five, making two.

In the second half, the Coyote offense came out red hot, hitting 60 percent from the floor in the first 5:30, getting 3-pointers from Contreras and Kelly Stewart, and a layin from McCloud to key a 12-4 run and push the USD lead to as many as 11.

Stewart finished with 12 points.

IUPUI's leading scorer, DeAirra Goss, got into foul trouble and was limited to just nine points on 3-of-16 shooting.  Goss had a career high 27 points in the Jags victory over USD last month.

The Coyotes won the battle of the boards 41-33 and grabbed 18 offensive rebounds to win for the fifth time in the last six games.

South Dakota (14-11/5-5) plays at Omaha and Western Illinois next week.