USD women fall to Idaho State

VERMILLION, S.D. – Idaho State’s Lindsey Reed scored 20 points as the Bengals benefited from South Dakota turnovers and shooting troubles to hand the Coyotes a 69-45 loss on Thursday night. 

Idaho State (3-2) cashed in off of USD turnovers, scoring 23 points off 19 turnovers and recording 11 steals.  South Dakota (2-5) continued to struggle shooting, going 14-for-53 (26.4 percent) over the game. 

Tempestt Wilson was USD’s leading scorer with a season-high 14 points, while Polly Harrington had 12 points and Margaret McCloud added seven points.  Alexis Yackley led in assists with four, and McCloud led in rebounding with nine.

USD battled in the post with the defending Big Sky champions, getting edged in rebounds 43-42 and coming up on the short end of points in the paint, 26-20.  South Dakota got to the line more often than Idaho State, and was 15-22 (68.2 percent) from the charity stripe, but Idaho State was 13-18 (72.2 percent).

The Coyote defense made things difficult in the early going for the Bengals.  USD held Idaho State to just 28 percent shooting (9-32) in the first half, and had the lead twice.  However, USD recorded just one basket during the last 10 minutes of the first half, which Idaho State used to open up a 17-7 run and a 32-22 halftime lead.  USD never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

Reed shot 4-for-5 from beyond the three-point arc, 7-for-13 from the floor and scored 10 of Idaho State’s first 11 points.  Cydney Horton, Idaho State’s top scorer this season at 12.3 point per game, scored 12 points and Kara Jenkins tallied 10.  Ashleigh Vella led the team in rebounding with 14.