Coyote women beat Oral Roberts 78-61, advance to final round of tournament

A hot start from outside helped fuel the Coyotes 78-61 victory over the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles Monday in the Summit League Semifinals.

The Coyotes shot 60 percent from three point range in the first half and 62 percent from the field. USD finished the first quarter with a 21-8 lead and kept the momentum rolling throughout the game. Coyote senior center Margaret McCloud had 12 points on 6-6 shooting in the first half. This helped to start well against the one team that beat the Coyotes in Summit League play.

“I think we set the tone today and our crowd got into it,” McCloud said. “It was a lot of fun.”

The Coyotes slowed down in the second half as the Golden Eagles league-leading three point defense came into effect. The Coyotes only managed 33 percent shooting from deep in the second half, but the damage was already done. USD weathered a late Oral Roberts run and won 78-61. USD head coach Amy Williams noted the Coyotes resilience late in the game.

“We made plays when we needed to make them to seal the victory,” Williams said.

Four Coyotes were in double figures for scoring. McCloud and senior guard Nicole Seekamp each had 14 points. McCloud also grabbed six rebounds and Seekamp dished out four assists. Senior guard Tia Hemiller had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Fellow senior guard Kelly Stewart scored 12 points, grabbing five rebounds and blocking three shots.

The Golden Eagles were led by sophomore guard Jordan Doyle and freshman forward Maria Martianez who each scored 13 points. Sophomore forward Faith Ihim also played big for Oral Roberts with 10 points and six rebounds.

With the win the Coyotes will move on to the final round of the Summit League Championship for a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. They will play in-state rival South Dakota State University at 1 p.m. on Tuesday in the Denny Sanford Premier Center.