"It was really a gut check game for us," said head coach Joan Bonvicini. "We hadn't been home in a while, after having some really tough losses on the road. Today's game came down to effort, it wasn't a pretty game, but it was a game that we out worked them, particularly on the boards. We outrebounded them significantly and it was really the key to the game."
The Redhawks outrebounded the Coyotes 35 to 27, holding USD to only six offensive boards on the day. SU had 13 offensive rebounds and scored 14 points off of second chances. The Redhawks also forced 22 South Dakota turnovers, which they too capitalized on to score 22 points.
The early minutes of the game were not as fluid as Bonvicini would have liked to see. The Redhawks went down 4-0 immediately and could not score on their first five possessions, but at 16:39 senior Ashley Brown (Kirkland, Wash.) broke onto the board with a 15 foot jumper to cut USD's lead to two. Elle Kerfoot (Surrey, B.C.) evened the score a minute later with a lane shot.
After back-and-forth possessions, South Dakota held onto their slight point advantage 9-7, eight minutes into the contest. Both squads struggled to get their offenses rolling early and respective defensive efforts forced 25 combined turnovers in the first half. After a sluggish start to the game, SU went into halftime holding a 24-17 lead behind 10 first half points from Brown.
The second half opened with both squads exchanging baskets on consecutive possessions, but it was an acrobatic basket from Kerfoot that ignited 7-0 SeattleU run, which included a third drained three by Brown.
With just under 13 minutes left in regulation, the Redhawks took their first double-figure lead off a Samantha Messersmith (Herald, Calif.) three-pointer, but South Dakota responded on their next possession with a three of their own. Messersmith countered USD's beyond the arc basket with a jumper to make it a 40-31 game.
At 9:25, Amber Hegge chopped down SeattleU's lead to six, by converting her three-point play, but it did not stymie the Redhawks. SU's offense remained productive, despite South Dakota's continual attempts to retake the lead. Julee Christianson (Missoula, Mont.) scored an acrobatic behind the back basket to keep the momentum on SeattleU's side.
Despite SU garnering momentum, the Coyotes kept the game close. They closed in the Redhawks lead to four, but the veteran Heck began to orchestrate SeattleU's efforts on both ends of the floor. Heck scored in double-digits for the seventh consecutive game, with her 15 points. She added five boards in 38 minutes of action.
With less than five minutes left in regulation, the Redhawks began to control the ball much more efficiently. They were getting offensive rebounds and creating multiple second chance opportunities for themselves.
Maggie McCarthy (Burlingame, Calif.) made it a 10 point game with three minutes left, as she dished in a four foot jumper to make it 48-38. A fighting USD squad immediately countered with a three from Annie Roche.
The Coyotes increased their defensive pressure heading down to the finish, but SU maintained their composure and added to their lead with a Kerfoot layup with 51.8 seconds left in the game. McCarthy and Kerfoot reestablished the 10 point advantage with each sophomore converting a free throw basket to close out the game.
For the Redhawks, Brown tallied 13 points and seven boards, to lead the team in rebounds. Kerfoot added nine points and McCarthy had seven. Murillo led the squad with six assists and Monica Nevi (Renton, Wash.) saw time on the floor late in the second half.
With the win, SU has put together back-to-back victories at home in 2010, as they improve to 5-20 on the year. They will return to the road for another midweek contest in California, as they head to Cal State Northridge on Wednesday, Feb. 16, for a 7 p.m. game.