Shannon Daly scored a season-high 16 points to lead the fourth-ranked South Dakota women's basketball team to a 73-68 win over 16th-ranked Minnesota State on Saturday at the DakotaDome.

VERMILLION, S.D. – Led by Shannon Daly’s 16 points, The University of South Dakota women’s basketball team tied a school record with their 17th consecutive win by rallying for a 73-68 decision over Minnesota State on Saturday night at the DakotaDome.

With the win, the fourth-ranked Coyotes improved to 19-1 overall, which is the best 20-game mark in school history. USD, which is ranked first in the North Central Region, won its fifth straight NCC game and sits in first place with a 5-0 record. The Coyotes also won their 11th straight home game of the season and increased their overall home winning streak to 13 games (dating back to last season). Minnesota State, which was ranked 16th in NCAA Division II, dropped to 16-5 overall and 2-4 in the NCC.

Minnesota State led South Dakota, 64-60, with 5:35 to play before the Coyotes had a game-closing 13-4 run to secure the win. Jeana Hoffman (Sr., Mitchell, S.D.) hit a three-point basket with 2:34 left in the game which provided USD with a 66-64 lead. MSU’s Tiffany Moe answered with a pair of free throws to tie the game at 66-66 with 1:27 left on the clock. On the next possession, Daly made a lay-up at the 1:15 mark to give the Coyotes the lead for good. After that, South Dakota made 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute to ice the game.

Daly, a senior from Groton, S.D., tied a season-high by making 8-of-13 field goals while also dishing out three assists in 31 minutes. Hoffman (Sr., Mitchell, S.D.) had 13 points, including two three-point field goals for the 19th time in 20 games. With those three-point field goals, she moved into seventh place on USD’s all-time season three-point chart with 71. She also recorded double digits in points for the 50th time in her career.

For the second straight home game, the Coyotes had a balanced scoring attack. All eight players who saw action scored at least six points. Senior Ashley Robinette (Sr., South Sioux City, Neb.) had nine points, two assists and tied a season-high with three steals. She now has 996 career points. Freshman forward Amber Hegge (Crofton, Neb.) also had nine points along with six rebounds, four blocked shots and three assists.

South Dakota connected on 44.1 percent from the field by making 26-of-59 field goals. The Coyotes, who lead the nation in three-point field goals per game (10.1 per game), struggled against the Mavericks by tying a season-low with just five 3-point baskets in 17 attempts (29.4 percent).

Minnesota State was led in scoring by Heather Johnson with 18 points while Moe had 13. The Mavericks hit 51.9 percent from the field on 27-of-52 shooting. MSU was also 6-of-11 for 54.5 percent from three-point range and 8-of-11 for 72.7 percent from the foul stripe.

One of the keys to the Coyotes’ success this season has been in turnover margin. The Coyotes committed just nine turnovers against the Mavericks, who had 19. USD recorded nine steals and had five blocked shots.

Minnesota State jumped to an 11-7 lead in the first half after Jamie Kienitz made a three-pointer at the 14:08 mark. The Mavericks increased the lead to 20-12 at the 10:09 mark after a three-point shot by Heather Johnson. South Dakota responded with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 22-22 with 6:11 left in the half. The Coyotes took its first lead of the game at 24-23 with 3:52 left on two free throws by Hegge. The Mavericks responded with a 6-0 run to go ahead 29-24 at the 3:12 mark of the opening half. The Coyotes again rallied as they cut Minnesota State’s advantage to 31-30 with 1:37 on the first-half clock. However neither team scored for the remainder of the half as the Mavericks led at the halftime break.

Early in the second half, MSU grabbed a 38-32 lead after Joanne Noreen hit a three-point field goal at the 18:14 mark. The Coyotes had a 10-3 run to grab a 42-41 advantage at the 15:22 mark. The Mavericks responded with a 12-7 run to lead 53-49 at the 10:34 mark. Hegge converted a three-point play with 8:23 left to give USD a 56-55 lead. Minnesota State answered with their own 9-4 run to take a 64-60 lead and set the stage for the Coyotes' rally in the final 5:35 of the game.

Next on the schedule for South Dakota will be a league road game against Nebraska-Omaha at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 9 at Sapp Fieldhouse in Omaha, Neb.