HIGH-SCHOOL

South Dakota women to play at South Carolina in December

Brian Haenchen
Argus Leader
Coach Dawn Staley and the bench react to a call Feb. 14, 2019, during the second half of action against Georgia in the Colonial Life Arena.

A year after taking out Missouri on the road, the South Dakota women will visit the other Columbia in December. The Coyotes announced Monday they will play 2017 NCAA champion South Carolina on Dec. 22 in Columbia, S.C.

It will be the first meeting between the Yotes and USC in women's basketball. USD picked up its first win over an SEC team last December when it won at then-No. 22 Mizzou, 74-61. 

South Carolina (23-10) reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the sixth straight year in 2019. The Gamecocks boast the nation's top recruiting class, but did lose leading scorer Te’a Cooper, who entered the transfer portal in April. They are expected to be a top 10 team entering the 2019-20 season.

“This is a great opportunity to play an incredible opponent at the end of our non-conference slate,” coach Dawn Plitzuweit said in a statement. “Our scheduling philosophy is to play the best competition that we can and with South Carolina we have the chance to play not only one of the top teams in the country, but one that plays a different style than we normally see."

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South Dakota (28-6), which has claimed four Power Five victories under Plitzuweit (Missouri, Iowa State, Michigan State and Illinois), became the first Summit League program to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Coyotes return four starters — seniors Ciara Duffy, Madison McKeever and Taylor Frederick, and junior Chloe Lamb — as well as Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year, Hannah Sjerven. USD adds a trio of freshmen to the mix for 2019-20, including Harrisburg standout Jeniah Ugofsky.

The complete schedule for Coyote women’s basketball is taking shape and is expect to be announced later this summer.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.