USD cracks AP Top 20

NEW YORK (USD PR) — South Dakota women’s basketball moved up one spot to No. 20 in this week’s Associated Press Poll released Monday. The No. 20 Coyotes (24-2, 13-0 Summit League) are one of 12 teams in the nation that remain undefeated in conference play this season. South Dakota is one win away from clinching a share of the regular season title and two from winning it outright. Last week’s slate included an 88-51 win over Western Illinois and a 77-73 road victory at Oral Roberts. South Dakota’s placed five or more players in double-figures for three-straight games. Junior guard Chloe Lamb scored a career high 24 points in Saturday’s hard fought win at Oral Roberts. Junior center Hannah Sjerven paced the Coyotes with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor on Thursday against Western Illinois. Senior forward Taylor Frederick, senior guard Madison McKeever, senior guard Ciara Duffy and junior guard Monica Arens also reached double-digits. No. 20 is the highest that South Dakota has ranked in the Associated Press poll. The Coyotes have been ranked in the AP Top 25 for eight weeks this season, including seven consecutive weeks. It ties for the longest streak by a Summit League appearance in history, while the total is the second-most appearances by a Summit League team in a single season (South Dakota State, 10 weeks in 2008-09). South Dakota hosts North Dakota State at 7 p.m. Thursday inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.