OMAHA, Neb. - Omaha Women's Basketball ran into the top defensive team in the Summit League on Thursday as the Mavericks dropped a 67-39 decision to South Dakota at Baxter Arena.
South Dakota (15-5, 5-1 Summit League) came into Thursday's game allowing a league-best 55.4 points per game. The Coyotes have held seven opponents to fewer than 45 points this season.
Omaha (2-20, 0-7) had its own defensive stalwart in freshman
Avril Smith (Omaha, Neb.), who finished with a career-best six blocked shots.
The 6-foot Smith also grabbed 16 rebounds, including 11 on the defensive end. It was the fourth straight game Smith has finished with a double-digit rebounding night.
"She works non-stop," head coach
Jamie Carey said of Smith. "I think you're seeing her work pay off every single night."
Offensively for Omaha, three players finished in double figures as freshman point guard
Leekaya Burke Perryman (Colorado Springs, Colo.) had 12 points and six rebounds, graduate
Sarai Estupiñan (Cedar Park, Texas) had 10 points and junior
Ali Stephens (Fort Wayne, Ind.) scored all 10 of her points after halftime. Stephens has scored in double figures in four of the last five games.
Omaha was within 15-9 when Estupiñan hit a midrange jumper with 8:05 left in the first half. But South Dakota (15-5, 5-1) held Omaha without a field goal for the next eight minutes as the Coyotes took a 31-14 lead to halftime.
South Dakota extended its lead to 50-20 with two minutes left in the third quarter.
South Dakota's defense held to 4 for 29 from the field to start the game. The Mavericks finished the night 12 of 54 (22 percent).
The Coyotes also focused on taking away Omaha's 3-point game as Omaha didn't make its first three until the final minute of the third quarter.
Omaha, which entered the night averaging 7.1 made three per game, was 2 of 15 on three for the night.
Omaha returns to action Wednesday, Jan. 28 at South Dakota State.
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