Loeffler's career-high 14 lifts Coyotes past Omaha

VERMILLION, S.D. - Lisa Loeffler scored a career-high 14 points and Tempestt Wilson and Polly Harrington added 13 points each to lead South Dakota to a 62-57 win against Omaha Saturday at the DakotaDome. It was the Summit League opener for the Coyotes (6-8, 1-0).

Loeffler, who tied her career-high of eight points in the first half, went 7-for-11 from the floor to jolt the Coyote offense.  The Coyotes shot 46 percent from the floor, which was the third time in December they shot over 45 percent in a game. 

Senior guard Alexis Yackley led South Dakota in rebounds with eight and in assists with seven, while Nicole Seekamp recorded her seventh-straight double-digit scoring game by adding 12 points to the effort.

South Dakota stymied Omaha’s top scorer Paige Frauendorfer, who entered the game at 13 points per contest, to just four points on 1 for 13 shooting.  Carolyn Blair-Mobley led the Mavericks (9-3, 1-1) in scoring with 17 points.

The Mavericks led only once in the game after Casse Vaughn made a layup with 10:48 left in the first half to make it 18-16.  South Dakota ended the half on an 18-6 run with Wilson and Harrington both scoring five during that stretch.

Omaha cut down the 34-26 halftime lead to 40-37 with 14:40 left in the game, but Loeffler hit three-straight shots to jump start the Coyotes.  USD then held the Mavericks to just two baskets over the next five minutes to extend the lead to 50-41.  Omaha got as close as three with 24 seconds left, but Wilson hit a pair of free-throws to ice the game.

The Coyotes will play on the road for the next couple of weeks, starting with a trip to North Dakota State on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tip.  USD’s next home game is on Jan. 17 against Fort Wayne. 

Courtesy: Jarrod Tell, USD Sports Information