USD women lose 55-61 to SDSU in final round of Summit League Tournament
It was a case of déjà vu for the Coyotes Tuesday as they lost 55-61 to SDSU in the Summit League final for the second year in a row in front of a record crowd of 8,647.
After taking down the Jackrabbits both times this year in conference play, the Coyotes were unable take down SDSU a third time for a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament.
“We just lost at the wrong time,” said USD head coach Amy Williams.
The first half was a tense, physical and gritty battle between the two teams. The Coyotes managed to sneak a one point lead into halftime, going into the break 27-26.
The second half is where the Jackrabbits found their footing. They outscored the Coyotes 35-28 in the second half and played with an edge that wasn’t present in the two previous games this season.
The Coyotes fought hard down the stretch, but missed free throws proved too difficult to overcome. USD was 9-17 on foul shots in the second half.
The Summit League MVP senior guard Nicole Seekamp led the game in scoring with 22 points. She also added four rebounds and four steals. Senior guard Kelly Stewart added 11 points, 10 coming in the second quarter, and grabbed eight rebounds. Despite the boost Stewart provided, she only shot 1-6 from the foul line.
“We put our hearts out there and played our guts out. It just didn’t work out,” Seekamp said.
The Jacks were led by sophomore guard Macy Miller. Miller had 18 points and grabbed 10 boards. Freshman guard Madison Guebert scored 14 and was awarded Tournament MVP following the game.
buy propecia online https://jersey-hemp.com/wp-content/languages/new/online/propecia.html no prescription
Guebert, Seekamp, Stewart, Miller and UNO’s Mikaela Shaw made up the All-Tournament team.
With the loss the Coyotes can hope for a NCAA Tournament at-large bid, but will most likely end up in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Despite the goal of the NCAA Tournament, the Coyotes are still eager for a chance to play.
“Just because we lost now doesn’t mean that hard work was all for nothing,” Seekamp said.
The chance to play again, even in the WNIT, is something Williams can’t wait for.
“I’m just thrilled to be able to coach this team again. That’s the best thing about this day. It’s a disappointing day, but the best thing about it is it’s this is not the last time I will be able to coach this team,” Williams said.
It’s not just the players who get to partake in the weekend’s games. USD students came out to support their team in huge numbers Tuesday.
Senior Kayla Johnson has cheered on the Coyotes all four years she has been at USD and has been front and center for the Coyote Crazies throughout the Summit League Championships.
“All season long it all builds up to Summit League (Tournament). That’s the biggest part is coming here,” Johnson said. “All of us (are) seniors and we grew up with these girls. This is a big moment for us and we’re really proud of our team.”
The Coyotes now must wait to see if the NCAA will grace them with a possible bid. If not, they can expect to host a game during the WNIT, which means one last basketball game could still be played in the DakotaDome.
