SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — At long last, the University of South Dakota’ women’s Summit League tournament championship game nightmare is over.
The No. 11-ranked Coyotes came from behind to dominate the fourth quarter and beat rival South Dakota State 63-58 in front of 7,833 in the Denny Sanford Premier Center on Tuesday afternoon.
PODCAST: Reacting to USD’s win, full Coyote postgame press conference
USD won its second Summit League tourney title and first in six years, snapping a four-game losing skid against SDSU in the final over the last five years. The Yotes are now 2-6 all-time against the Jacks in the tourney, and earned a three-game season sweep of SDSU.
But Round 3 was much tougher duty than USD’s 83-48 blowout in Vermillion on Jan. 19 — the worst SDSU loss in Summit League play in over a decade — and the Yotes’ 77-67 victory in Brookings on Feb. 22.
SDSU, a 32 percent 3-point shooting team, made six of its first seven attempts beyond the arc, igniting the Sea of Blue of fans that had helped propel the Jacks to nine of the previous 11 titles since this event moved to Sioux Falls in 2009.
But after leading 32-27 at halftime and finishing on a 7-0 run to take a 47-45 lead into the fourth quarter, SDSU ran out of its familiar Jacks Magic in the Denny.
The Coyotes now wear the Summit crown as Queens of the Castle, as they were favored to do all along. This marks South Dakota’s first time winning both the regular season and the tournament in the same season.
USD improved to 30-2 overall and capped a 19-0 run through conference play by locking down on defense and pumping the ball in the post to league Defensive Player Hannah Sjerven, who scored a team-high 15 points, grabbed rebounds rebounds, ripped two steals, and made all three of her free throw attempts to earn tournament MVP honors — the fourth Coyote MVP and first since 2015.
USD hauled in 16 offensive rebounds to SDSU’s five and outscored the Jacks 19-5 in second chance points.
Sjerven, an All-Summit first team junior forward, scored USD’s first nine points of the fourth quarter, turning a 47-45 deficit into a 54-50 Coyote lead with six minutes to go. USD led the rest of the way.
The Yotes outscored the Jacks 18-11 in the fourth quarter, including the first seven points of the period to turn the tides of the game and the Jacks’ stranglehold on this event.
All five USD starters scored in double-figures.
Senior guard Madison McKeever and junior guard Chloe Lamb both hit clutch 3-pointers in the third quarter to tie the game at 35 and 38, respectively. Both finished with 11 points. McKeever added four rebounds, while Lamb had four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Lamb earned a spot on the Summit’s all-tournament team.
Junior guard Monica Arens joined them in double-figures with 10 points, four rebounds, and a pair of assists and steals.
The 2020 Summit League Player of the Year Ciara Duffy added 10 points and five rebounds, on what she admitted a second consecutive rough offensive performance — She was 6-of-25 from the field in the semifinal and final combined and 0-for-7 beyond the arc, including 2-for-10 and 0-for-3 on today.
But Duffy was still named to the all-tournament team. It is her second-such honor as she also earned a spot on the 2018 team.
She was joined by Sjerven and USD junior Chloe Lamb on the all-tourney team, along with SDSU’s Tagyn Larson, who scored a game-high 16 points, and Jacks guard Riley Cascio Jensen, who scored 13 points and hit 4 of her 5 three-point attempts, the first three sparking the Jacks’ first half surge.
The Jackrabbits led 32-27 at the half, marking just the fourth game this season that the Coyotes have trailed after the second quarter. The Coyotes came roaring back in the third, leading 43-38 with 3:45 to go in the third.
SDSU led 47-45 into the final frame, but Sjerven took over inside. A 3-point play gave USD a 52-47 lead with 7:20 to play. A layup from McKeever with 1:46 to play made it 59-53 for USD.
South Dakota put it away with free-throws down the stretch to win 63-58.
PODCAST: Midco analyst Jay Elsen on how the Jacks turned the game around
The Coyotes outrebounded the Jackrabbits 36-27 in the game, scoring 19 second-chance points in the game.
South Dakota has garnered the Summit League’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Selection Monday is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 16 on ESPN. The Coyotes are expected to be a No. 5 or No. 6 seed. A No. 4 seed would mean USD would likely host its first and second-round games, but that appears to be a slim possibility.
A WNIT bid is a distinct possibility for the 24-10 Jacks.
PODCAST: Midco analyst Brad Newitt breaks down the game and possible NCAA seeding for USD
