VERMILLION, S.D. – The South Dakota women’s basketball program overcame a double-digit second half deficit to force overtime, but ultimately it was the Saint Louis Billikens who came away with the 85-83 victory on the opening night of the college basketball season.
The season and home opener for the Coyotes inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center was also the Coyote debut for USD Head Coach Carrie Eighmey. The Coyotes started cold from the field Monday night, converting 7-of-31 shots in the first half, but warmed up as the game carried on.
Saint Louis scored 18 points in each of the first two quarters of play to build a 36-25 halftime advantage. Olivia Kieffer led the Coyotes with 10 first half points off the bench to keep the Yotes in the game. Kieffer’s 10 points is her second career double-digit scoring effort.
South Dakota started to heat up in the third quarter, making more shots in the third (8) than the first half (7). A lead that grew to 17 for Saint Louis to start the second half shrunk to three in the quarter, helped by separate 9-0 and 8-0 runs. Carley Duffney scored 11 points in the quarter herself, going 4-of-7 from the floor and 2-for-2 from three.
USD carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, where they would take their first lead since leading 4-3 3:01 into the game. Off a Saint Louis turnover, Cassidy Carson drained a three-pointer to give USD the 62-20 lead with 4:28 to play. The remainder of the fourth quarter went back-and-forth, and with the Billikens leading 71-69 with less than 10 seconds left, Grace Larkins took the in-bounds pass coast-to-coast to tie the game with two seconds remaining.
Overtime went the way of Saint Louis early, who quickly jumped out to a six-point lead. A pair of three-pointers from Addison Klosterbuer and a Grace Larkins lay-in helped the Coyotes get even with less than a minute left, but the Billikens scored with six seconds left to take the victory.
Grace Larkins totaled 27 points and 13 rebounds to record her 15th career double-double. Carley Duffney added 18 points and seven rebounds.
The Coyotes are back in action Friday at Air Force Friday at 5 p.m.
NOTABLES:
• Grace Larkins recorded her 15th career double-double with 27 points, 13 rebounds.
• Carley Duffney’s 18 points is her 31st career games in double figures and six consecutive game dating back to last season.
• Olivia Kieffer scored 10 points (all in the first half), her second double-digit scoring effort at USD.
• Duffney set a new career-high in minutes played, logging nearly 42 minutes of action.
• Other Coyotes with new career-highs in minutes include Coral Mason (23) and Addison Klosterbuer (15).
• Two student-athletes made their Coyote debuts Monday: graduate transfer Adara Groman and freshman Gabby Wilke.
• Groman started her first game in a Coyote uniform, finishing with seven points.
• Coral Mason tied a career-high with four points off the bench.
• USD lost their first overtime game since the 2022-23 (86-82 at North Dakota State on Feb. 3, 2023).
• USD is now 7-2 in home openers inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center and 44-10 all-time.
• The Coyotes are now 37-17 in season openers all-time.