Coyotes Win on Native American Heritage Day
The women’s basketball team grabbed a 76-66 win over North Dakota on Saturday, Feb. 1. Beyond the action taking place on the court, the game was extra special as fans gathered at the SCSC to celebrate Native American Heritage Day.
The event aimed to showcase USD’s Native students and student-athletes, as well as celebrate tribal communities. It provided a platform to honor Indigenous culture, history and contributions.
Before tipoff, the Lakota Flag Song was performed and fans witnessed a halftime performance featuring hoop dancers Jackie Bird and the Sampson Brothers.
The game also saw a record-breaking performance on the court, with junior guard Grace Larkins scoring 39 points, moving into third place on USD’s all-time scoring list with 1,907 career points.
This year, USD extended the invitation for two high schools to play a regular-season contest at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
As part of the celebration of Native American culture and history, the Todd County Falcons and the McLaughlin Mustangs high school boys basketball teams took the floor. Todd County High School from the Rosebud Reservation, as well as McLaughlin High School from the Standing Rock Reservation made the trip to Vermillion to square off in a tightly contested game.
The teams were evenly matched, and the game came down to the final moments. The Todd County Falcons took a 50-49 victory over the McLaughlin Mustangs. The win secured Todd County’s seventh win of the season.
