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College basketball: Coyotes climb into Division II championship game
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FarkKEARNEY, Neb. — South Dakota beat top-ranked and previously unbeaten Delta State, 68-58, on Thursday to run its winning streak to 31 games and advance to the NCAA Division II women’s championship game.
Freshman forward Amber Hegge scored six straight points late in the second half for South Dakota, which blew a nine-point lead and had to come from behind. Hegge finished with 15 points for the Coyotes (33-1 overall), who will play Northern Kentucky for the national championship on Saturday. The Norse advanced to their third title game with a 57-54 win over Alaska-Anchorage in the first semifinal.
Jeana Hoffman had three 3-pointers and 19 points to lead USD into its first and last Division II championship game. The Coyotes begin the transition to Division I next season.
The Lady Statesmen (33-1) were bidding for their fourth national title. They jumped out to a 6-0 lead and were seconds away from going into the half with a lead when Hoffman buried a 3-pointer as time expired. That gave the Coyotes a 39-38 lead and marked the first time this season that Delta State trailed at half.
The Coyotes slowly pulled away early in the second half, taking a 52-43 lead with 12:27 to play. But USD went into an offensive slump, going 5:40 without a point.
The Lady Statesmen went on a 13-3 run to take a 56-55 lead on a Brittani Calhoun basket with 5:29 remaining.
Jessica Boyd gave Delta State its last lead at 58-57. Hegge then scored the next six points for a 63-58 Coyote advantage. Hegge was 7-for-7 from the line.
Boyd led Delta State with 12 points. Calhoun added 10.
On the night before, Hoffman scored 27 points as South Dakota outlasted Washburn, 85-80, in double overtime in the quarterfinals.
The Coyotes, who were playing in their first Elite Eight, never trailed in either overtime. But Washburn made game-tying 3-pointers three times in the first overtime and stayed within two points until Shannon Daly’s free throws with 14 seconds to play gave South Dakota some breathing room.
Jeana Hoffman and Jenna Hoffman each made two free throws down the stretch.
The Coyotes will leave Division II next year to begin the transition to NCAA Division I.
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