Coyote Women Wrap Up Basketball Season at the Summit League

The USD women’s basketball team closed out their 2024-2025 season at the Summit League Championships against Oral Roberts on Thursday, March 6 in Sioux Falls at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. Despite South Dakota’s hard work in this quarter finals matchup, they fell to the Golden Eagles 70-50.

Senior Grace Larkins signed off on a high note with scoring 24 points and having 13 rebounds, recording her 30th career double-double. Larkins scored all 11 of USD’s points in the first quarter, but did not score in the second. 

After trailing 16-11 after the first quarter, the Coyotes were able to battle back from a long scoring drought to bring the game to 30-21 at halftime.

South Dakota still struggled in the third quarter and only scored four points, courtesy of Larkins. After Oral Roberts took the lead by 29 points with 7:28 left to play, the Coyotes started to work around the Golden Eagle’s pressure.

Senior Alexi Hempe led the Coyotes with nine points in the fourth quarter, as USD was able to convert 60% of their shots. South Dakota’s 7-0 run at the end of the quarter was not enough to fight back from Oral Roberts’ large lead. 

Hempe ended the game with 11 points and four rebounds. Freshman Gabby Wilke recorded eight points for the Coyotes with shooting 35% from the field and 21% from deep. 

Larkins ended her career as second in all-time scoring with 2,089 points, fourth all-time in rebounds with 896 and fifth in all-time assists with 519.

Head coach Carrie Eighmey ended her first season with South Dakota with an overall 11-20 record and 5-11 conference record.