By Ben Helwig
(Sioux Falls- S.D.) Coming into the 2020 Summit League Tournament, Omaha was dealt a tough hand as the number eight overall seed. Their opening match-up was not only against the number one team in the conference in South Dakota, but the Coyotes came in as the No. 17 team in the country. Omaha saw the full force of that Coyote team on Saturday afternoon.
South Dakota crushed Omaha 99-40 in a game that proved South Dakota as a legitimate contender in the national picture.
The Coyotes and Mavericks just had opposite days shooting from the floor as South Dakota shot 50.7% from the floor as opposed to Omaha’s 25.5%.
One of the biggest factors was three-point shooting. The Coyotes shot a staggering 90% from three-point in the first half, finishing at a total of 56.5% from behind the arc. Omaha only mustered one total three in the game, going one for twelve. Three-point shooting really plagued Omaha all season as they shot at a season clip of 26.7%.
South Dakota had it going from the get-go, outscoring Omaha 31-9 in the first quarter alone. The ‘Yotes carried that momentum into the second quarter, spurred on by the largely red-clad, South Dakota crowd at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. They proceeded to score another 33 points in the second, opening up a 64-18 halftime advantage.
While the Mavericks slowly improved production, scoring ten points in the third and 12 in the fourth, but it was too late as South Dakota rolled their way to the 99-40 victory.
Freshman Ella Ogier led the Mavericks in scoring, netting 13, while sophomore and season points leader Mariah Murdie added ten points, six of which coming at the free throw line.
The Coyotes saw production from all areas of their roster, with four players scoring in double figures. Summit League Player of the Year Ciara Duffy led the way with 17 points, shooting 66% from the floor. Junior Nebraska-native Monica Arens chipped in 16 points on a perfect five-for-five shooting from the floor.
South Dakota improves to 28-2 on the season and will play in the Summit League Semifinals Monday afternoon.
Omaha’s season ends on a 7-23 record. The Mavericks only lose one senior, Rayanna Carter, as they look to reload for next season.
“We’ve got to get stronger,” said Omaha Head Coach Brittany Lange following the game, “we’ve got to get a little bit smarter, and we have to get a little bit more depth on the team.”
