Run at the Summit League Tournament Ends Early

Women’s Basketball Loses in Quarterfinals, First Time in Six Years

The women’s basketball team fell 92-69 to Oral Roberts in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament on Sunday.

This was the first time the Coyotes have lost in the quarterfinals since 2017, former head coach Dawn Plitzuweit’s first year with the program. The 2017 loss was also the last time current head coach Kayla Karius was on the sidelines with the Coyotes during the Summit League Tournament. In 2017, USD fell to Omaha 64-58.

On March 5 in the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, Karius and her team fell to the same fate that Plitzuweit did in 2017.

The Coyotes entered the game with a quick 3-pointer but were soon met with Oral Roberts’ full-court press. The team had six total turnovers in the first quarter, allowing the Golden Eagles to score nine additional points which put them ahead 22-15 at the end of the quarter. Redshirt freshman forward Carley Duffney led the Coyotes in scoring with seven points.

Oral Roberts was led by senior guard Hannah Cooper with five points at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Oral Roberts was able to extend their lead to 14 points with 2:09 left in the half. This quarter saw an additional four turnovers by the Coyotes.

Cooper continued to lead the Golden Eagles in scoring at the half with 12 points.

The half ended with the Coyotes trailing 39-28.

As the Coyotes returned after the half, the team went on their largest scoring run of the game with eight points. The third quarter ended with a 62-53 Coyote deficit.

“At halftime, we’re sitting on seven points off turnovers, and I think that was a moment for us to collect ourselves and to take a deep breath all together,” Karius said. “We came out in the third quarter much more poised, and I was really proud of the way we handled pressure better.”

In the final quarter of the game, the Coyotes committed an additional nine turnovers and allowed a nine-point scoring run for the Golden Eagles.

The two teams traded baskets a majority of the second half, however the Coyotes were unable to get stops defensively.

“They were able to force a lot of turnovers,” senior guard Macy Guebert said.” I think we were able to figure it out a little bit more towards the end but like (Karius) said, we were trading baskets with them. I think it really came down to defensive stops and you have got to get more of those on the stretch.”

The Golden Eagles ended the game ahead 92-69. They were led by Cooper the entirety of the game. Cooper finished with 24 points. This was her 15th game of the season with more than 20 points. Cooper was followed by junior forward Ruthie Udoumoh in scoring with 19 points. Oral Roberts was also able to capitalize on USD’s 21 turnovers for 28 points.

USD was led by Duffney and sophomore guard Grace Larkins both with 19 points.

Oral Roberts competed against SDSU on Monday in the semifinals and lost 87-60. SDSU went on to win the Summit League Tournament against Omaha on Tuesday 93-51.

Men’s Basketball Falls in First Round to “Baby Bison”

The men’s basketball team fell to North Dakota State 70-68 in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament.

The Bison opened the game with a shot in the paint from sophomore forward Andrew Morgan.

Six minutes through the first half, Coyotes sophomore guard Max Burchill hit a 3-pointer to put USD up by two. Senior guard Mason Archambault continued the South Dakota scoring as he hit two free throws and a 2-point jumper to increase the lead to 13-6 with 12:49 to go.

The Bison clawed their way back after being down six to retake the lead with 8:59 in the half, 17-15. NDSU’s Junior guard Boden Skunberg piloted their comeback as he scored eight unanswered points.

USD would regain the lead after a two and a half minute scoring drought that was ended by a layup from sophomore guard Paul Bruns.

North Dakota State repossessed the lead with 5:02 in the first half after sophomore guard Jacari White hit a layup. The Bison held the lead for the rest of the half and went into halftime with a 33-25 lead.

Both teams went into the half with a combined four of 22 from behind the 3-point line.

“In the first half we were one of 11 from three. So at halftime, I was like ‘guys, we’re going to start making some shots. We need to take good shots and we just need to stay with it,” South Dakota men’s head coach Eric Peterson said.

South Dakota came out of the half and tied the game with 13:40 after a 17-8 run which was led by the USD starting five (Archambault, junior guard Kruz Perrott-Hunt, junior forward Tasos Kamateros, senior guard Damani Hayes and redshirt sophomore A.J. Plitzuweit).

Both teams traded the lead for the rest of the second half.

The Bison were unable to score a field goal for seven minutes of the half until freshman guard Tajavis Miller hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 2:16 remaining in the contest.

Perrott-Hunt was fouled with 56 seconds left in the game and went onefor-two from the free-throw line giving the Coyotes a one point lead.

Miller drove into the paint with 15 seconds and hit a floater to give the Bison the lead.

On the ensuing possession, the Coyotes came out of the timeout and designed a play for Hayes to have an open shot in the paint. This play worked until Miller met Hayes at the rim and blocked his shot.

“You asked how tough that was for these guys… we couldn’t get (Archambault or Hayes) to come out here. That’s how they’re feeling right now in the locker room. I’m really proud of those two guys, our true seniors,” Peterson said.

Coyotes fouled Skunberg after the rebound and he went one-for-two from the line and gave NDSU a two-point lead with four seconds left.

Plitzuweit heaved a last second shot for the Coyotes but missed and the game ended with a 70-68 Bison win.

Bison’s junior forward Grant Nelson led the game in scoring with 23 points. He also compiled 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. He was joined in double-digit scoring by Skunberg (17), Miller (12) and Morgan (10).

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