GRAND FORKS, N.D.--On three occasions this season, top-ranked North Dakota had trailed at halftime only to rally and pull out a victory each time. South Dakota saw to it that it wouldn't happen a fourth time.
The 10th-ranked Coyotes knocked the Fighting Sioux from the ranks of the unbeaten with a gritty 70-67 win this afternoon in front of 2,550 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, UND's largest home crowd of the season.
USD, behind the play of twin sister combination of Jeana and Jenna Hoffman, built a three-point halftime lead, then fought off a handful of UND runs in the second half to escape with its first win in its last seven trips to Grand Forks.
Jeana Hoffman, the NCC's leading scorer, played the entire game and hit several key shots from the outside on her way to a game-high 20 points. Jenna Hoffman, meanwhile, used her inside moves and penetration to add 16 points.
But the biggest Coyote blow may have been landed by senior forward Ashley Robinette. Not long after the Sioux had tied the game at 53-53, Robinette took a pass on the wing and knocked down a big 3-pointer to put the Coyotes back on top at 58-53 with just over five minutes remaining.
Robinette's clutch shot capped off a 10-2 Coyote run and silenced a vocal Engelstad Sioux Center crowd.
The Sioux did manage to grab the lead one more time thanks to six straight Kierah Kimbrough (Jr., Greenbush, Minn.) points, then again on an Alys Seay (So., Grand Forks) drive with 2:26 remaining, but that lead lasted just 25 seconds and would be the last for the Sioux.
Jeana Hoffman answered Seay's basket with an inside score of her own, then sister Jenna and Shannon Daly added a pair of free throws each to put USD up to say at 68-63 with 28 seconds remaining.
USD improved to 16-1 despite being outrebounded by a substantial 47-26 margin. UND's Ashley Langen (Kennedy, Minn) led all players with a season-high 17 boards and Kimbrough matched her season high with 15.
But ultimately the difference in this one was ball control and outside shooting. The Coyotes committed just four turnovers to UND's 15, and knocked down 8-of-20 (40 percent) 3-pointers while the Sioux hit on just 2-of-11 (18.2 percent).
Kimbrough led the Sioux with 18 points, with Langen chipping in with 16.
UND, now 17-1 overall and 2-1 in the North Central Conference, will return to action next Saturday with a trip to Nebraska-Omaha.
Notes: Junior guard Danye Guinn (St. Francis, Minn.) eclipsed the 300-assist plateau for her career ... Kimbrough passed former teammate Carissa Jahner for 19th place on UND's all-time scoring list with 1,181 career points ... UND has outrebounded its opponent in every game this season and in 29 straight dating back to last February.
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