Coyote women play in sea of pink

The Coyote women’s basketball team came back to Vermillion following their loss to in-state rival South Dakota State (SDSU). USD’s record was 11-1 in Summit League play and 20-5 overall this season following the match-up against the Jackrabbits. 

The Coyotes took on the Omaha Mavericks on Feb. 10 and then the Denver Pioneers on Feb. 12.

USD took down the Omaha Mavericks 61-35 in a game where the Coyotes shot 4-of-26 from 3-point range. 

Senior guard Chloe Lamb led the game in scoring where she put up 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting. She also had a team high of five assists. 

The South Dakota defense held the Mavericks to 11 points through the first two quarters. Four players had two steals in the game leading to the Coyotes’ 11 total game steals. Senior center Hannah Sjerven also contributed with a game high of three blocks. 

The Mavericks senior forward Mariah Murdie led the way for them with eight points and five rebounds. Six of her points came in the fourth quarter of the game along with her two blocks. 

Following the win against Omaha, the women took on Denver in the annual pink out while 2,142 fans cheered them on. 

They celebrated the game by giving away the four seniors’ pink basketball jerseys. The jerseys were bid on throughout the week and the money went to the Dakota Hospital Foundation in Vermillion. They also gave out pink t-shirts and beanies to students that came to the game.

The Coyotes beat the Pioneers 81-53 where USD had four players score in double figures. 

The Pioneers’ junior forward Uju Ezeudu led the game in scoring where she put up 16 points, 12 of them coming in the first half. Ezeudu also had seven rebounds and three assists.

For the Coyotes, there were two players who scored 15 points, the first being Sjerven and the second being freshman guard Grace Larkins. 

The 15 point scoring night from Larkins, was her career high. She shot 6-of-10 from the field and drained her only 3-point attempt of the night. 

The other two Coyotes who put up double figure points were Lamb and senior guard Liv Korngable who scored 14 and 10 points, respectively. 

With these two wins for the Coyotes, they moved to 13-1 in Summit League play and kept their No. 1 seed in the conference. Their next games will be on the road Feb. 17 and 19 against St. Thomas and Western Illinois, respectively.