It's a light week for the University of South Dakota to start the second half of the Summit League schedule - just one game - as the Coyotes try to improve on a 2-5 start in the conference.

USD finished the first half splitting on the road last week.

Thursday at North Dakota State, they dropped 46 point first half points on the Bison, thanks to 57 percent shooting, six 3-pointers, and the return of their best player, Nicole Seekamp, who had missed some time in the first half of the season with an ankle injury.

Head coach Amy Williams told me her team got a real boost from Seekamp being back on the floor in Fargo:

Two nights later in Brookings, the Coyotes were buried by a barrage of first half three-pointers from South Dakota State (9) in an 18-point loss.

Before the Jacks heated up from the outside, the Coyotes were very much in the game, thanks to strong inside play from Polly Harrington, who scored six of USD's first eight points:

After just two wins the first time through the Summit League schedule while allowing a league high 79.6 points per game, coach Williams says improving defensively is still priority number one in Vermillion:

The first test for the Coyote defense in the second half is a Denver team that put up 91 points against them in week one, shooting nearly 52 percent on their home floor.

Coach Williams says the key to the Pioneers is a very balanced attack offensively:

Tipoff is 7:00pm Friday in Vermillion.

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