by Britni Smith
VERMILLION, S.D.—Four Coyotes scored in double figures to lead South Dakota to a 72-57 win over UC Riverside in the opening round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament on Friday night inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
After three close quarters to start the game, South Dakota (22-12) started off the fourth quarter on a 14-5 run to blow open a 61-47 lead. The Coyotes outscored UC Riverside (18-14) by 10 in the final frame.
Third-year sophomore forward Carley Duffney led the Coyotes in scoring with 15 points, two shy of her season high, on 5-of-7 shooting. She scored in double-figures for the ninth time in the last 11 games.
Sioux Falls native and senior forward Morgan Hansen scored a season-best 12 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from behind the arc in 10 minutes on the floor. She knocked down back-to-back threes midway through the second quarter, with the crowd erupting as the Coyotes led 35-28 before the half.
Fourth-year sophomore center Natalie Mazurek tallied 10 points and eight rebounds, while fifth-year senior forward Tori DePerry added 10 points and seven rebounds.
UC Riverside was led by two-time all-Big West guard Jordan Webster’s 19 points on 7-of-21 shooting. All-Big West forward Matehya Bryant added 17 points with eight rebounds.
South Dakota controlled the glass in the game, outrebounding UC Riverside 52-28. The Coyotes’ point guards led the way on the glass – two-time all-Summit League guard Grace Larkins secured 11 rebounds and freshman guard Olivia Kieffer pulled down a career high eight. Larkins added eight points and seven assists, while Kieffer had seven points.
The Coyotes shot 42.4 percent (25-of-59) from the floor in the game and made 37 percent (10-of-27) from behind the arc. The Highlanders made 33.3 percent (23-of-69) from the field and 19 percent (4-of-21) from deep.
South Dakota advances to the second round of the WNIT, with the Coyotes scheduled to host Northern Arizona at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion.
