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Jan. 21—VERMILLION, S.D. — Through the first 19 games of the 2025-26 season, the University of South Dakota women's basketball team has raised the bar from a year ago.
The Coyotes have paired one of the league's stingiest defenses with a balanced roster that continues to buy into second-year head coach Carrie Eighmey's vision.
As of Jan. 21, USD is tied for second in the Summit League standings at 4-1 in conference play and 14-5 overall, its best start to league action since the 2022-23 season. With 11 regular-season games remaining before the Summit League Tournament tips off March 4 at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls, the Coyotes have already surpassed last season's win total (11) and shown significant growth on both ends of the floor.
That progress is evident not only in the standings but also in how decisively South Dakota has won games. Eleven of the Coyotes' 14 victories have come by 20 points or more, and they enter Thursday's matchup against Omaha riding their third winning streak of at least three games this season. USD has won six of its last seven contests, building momentum as the calendar turns toward the heart of conference play.
"There's some really good teams in this conference, and the top of the league is really tough," Eighmey said. "For us, I think the next couple of weeks is where we're gonna learn a lot about ourselves. And we're going to have a way better understanding of what we need to do in the second half of the conference season to be in contention as we move toward the conference tournament."
Offensively, the Coyotes have been effective without leaning too heavily on any single player. South Dakota ranks fourth in the Summit League in scoring at 73.9 points per game, but the more telling statistic may be its balance. Twelve of USD's 14 players have scored in double figures at least once this season, a reflection of an unselfish approach that Eighmey has emphasized since her arrival.
"I think the balance has been pretty incredible," Eighmey said. "It's a testament to this group. They are unselfish, and willing to share the ball and work together to get the best shot that we can get. And we've got a lot of different people that can contribute in that way. We're not having to rely on just one or two players to have to carry the load game in and game out."
Senior guard Angelina Robles leads the team at 14.3 points per game, followed closely by junior transfer Molly Joyce at 12.3. Joyce, who joined USD from Truman State University, has made an immediate impact, scoring 20 or more points in four of five Summit League games and leading the conference in scoring during league play at 20.2 points per contest. She also surpassed 1,000 career points against Denver on Jan. 17, reaching the milestone in just her third collegiate season.
While the offense has been consistent, South Dakota has returned to a strong identity on the defensive end. The Coyotes lead the Summit League in scoring defense, allowing just 55.4 points per game — a mark that ranks 17th nationally — and holds opponents to 32.8% shooting from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc. Seven times this season, USD has limited opponents to under 30% shooting.
"I feel like our defense and rebounding are significantly different," Eighmey said. "On average, we're holding teams to nearly 55 points, and that's a significant improvement from where we were a year ago."
That defense has translated into one of the best scoring margins in the country. South Dakota has outscored opponents by an average of 18.5 points per game, which ranks second in the Summit League and 27th nationally, trailing only North Dakota State in conference play.
USD earned a solid power conference win in November at Kansas State but otherwise, the Coyotes have had a soft schedule, which ranks 352nd nationally in strength of schedule out of 363 Division I teams. That ramps up considerably soon, playing at NDSU (which is No. 42 nationally in the NCAA's NET) on Saturday, Jan. 24, and hosting SDSU on Jan. 31 (No. 50 in the NET). USD itself is at No. 113 in the NET, which is third-best in the Summit.
As South Dakota prepares for the final stretch of the regular season, Eighmey believes the team's best basketball may still be ahead to remain in Summit League title contention with March slowly approaching.
"Honestly, playing together for three or four months, I think there's a level of trust that continues to grow over the course of the season and you can see that happening with this group," Eighmey said. "There's still more growth for this team. We haven't played as well as we can play yet, so I am just continuing to look forward to what this team is going to look like in a month."
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The Coyotes have paired one of the league's stingiest defenses with a balanced roster that continues to buy into second-year head coach Carrie Eighmey's vision.
As of Jan. 21, USD is tied for second in the Summit League standings at 4-1 in conference play and 14-5 overall, its best start to league action since the 2022-23 season. With 11 regular-season games remaining before the Summit League Tournament tips off March 4 at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls, the Coyotes have already surpassed last season's win total (11) and shown significant growth on both ends of the floor.
That progress is evident not only in the standings but also in how decisively South Dakota has won games. Eleven of the Coyotes' 14 victories have come by 20 points or more, and they enter Thursday's matchup against Omaha riding their third winning streak of at least three games this season. USD has won six of its last seven contests, building momentum as the calendar turns toward the heart of conference play.
"There's some really good teams in this conference, and the top of the league is really tough," Eighmey said. "For us, I think the next couple of weeks is where we're gonna learn a lot about ourselves. And we're going to have a way better understanding of what we need to do in the second half of the conference season to be in contention as we move toward the conference tournament."
Offensively, the Coyotes have been effective without leaning too heavily on any single player. South Dakota ranks fourth in the Summit League in scoring at 73.9 points per game, but the more telling statistic may be its balance. Twelve of USD's 14 players have scored in double figures at least once this season, a reflection of an unselfish approach that Eighmey has emphasized since her arrival.
"I think the balance has been pretty incredible," Eighmey said. "It's a testament to this group. They are unselfish, and willing to share the ball and work together to get the best shot that we can get. And we've got a lot of different people that can contribute in that way. We're not having to rely on just one or two players to have to carry the load game in and game out."
Senior guard Angelina Robles leads the team at 14.3 points per game, followed closely by junior transfer Molly Joyce at 12.3. Joyce, who joined USD from Truman State University, has made an immediate impact, scoring 20 or more points in four of five Summit League games and leading the conference in scoring during league play at 20.2 points per contest. She also surpassed 1,000 career points against Denver on Jan. 17, reaching the milestone in just her third collegiate season.
While the offense has been consistent, South Dakota has returned to a strong identity on the defensive end. The Coyotes lead the Summit League in scoring defense, allowing just 55.4 points per game — a mark that ranks 17th nationally — and holds opponents to 32.8% shooting from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc. Seven times this season, USD has limited opponents to under 30% shooting.
"I feel like our defense and rebounding are significantly different," Eighmey said. "On average, we're holding teams to nearly 55 points, and that's a significant improvement from where we were a year ago."
That defense has translated into one of the best scoring margins in the country. South Dakota has outscored opponents by an average of 18.5 points per game, which ranks second in the Summit League and 27th nationally, trailing only North Dakota State in conference play.
USD earned a solid power conference win in November at Kansas State but otherwise, the Coyotes have had a soft schedule, which ranks 352nd nationally in strength of schedule out of 363 Division I teams. That ramps up considerably soon, playing at NDSU (which is No. 42 nationally in the NCAA's NET) on Saturday, Jan. 24, and hosting SDSU on Jan. 31 (No. 50 in the NET). USD itself is at No. 113 in the NET, which is third-best in the Summit.
As South Dakota prepares for the final stretch of the regular season, Eighmey believes the team's best basketball may still be ahead to remain in Summit League title contention with March slowly approaching.
"Honestly, playing together for three or four months, I think there's a level of trust that continues to grow over the course of the season and you can see that happening with this group," Eighmey said. "There's still more growth for this team. We haven't played as well as we can play yet, so I am just continuing to look forward to what this team is going to look like in a month."
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