VERMILLION, S.D. (Interstat) — Angelina Robles scored 20 points and South Dakota used a dominant first half to build a commanding lead before holding off a late rally to defeat Saint Thomas (Minn.) 67-55 in a Summit League women’s basketball game Wednesday night at DakotaDome.

The Coyotes (16-6, 4-3 Summit) led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter, but saw that advantage whittled down to just six in the final minutes before securing the victory. The Tommies (10-11, 3-4) dropped their second straight contest.

South Dakota established control early, closing the first quarter on a 15-2 run to lead 20-15. The Coyotes then dominated the second period, outscoring Saint Thomas 22-6. Robles, a 5-foot-5 guard from San Diego, was instrumental in the surge, scoring 11 of her points in the first half. The Coyotes’ defense stifled the Tommies, forcing nine first-half turnovers and holding them to 21 points on 30% shooting from the field over the first two quarters.

The home team’s lead ballooned to 42-21 at halftime and reached its peak at 51-28 following an Elise Turrubiates layup with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter. Turrubiates finished with 14 points and a game-high 38 minutes.

Saint Thomas, however, refused to capitulate. Sparked by increased defensive pressure, the Tommies closed the third quarter on a 12-5 run, cutting the deficit to 56-40. The rally gained serious momentum in the fourth quarter. A 3-pointer by Laura Hauge, assisted by Alyssa Sand, brought Saint Thomas within 65-57 with 2:13 to play. After a South Dakota turnover, Hauge connected on another three, this time off a pass from Abbey Vallance, to make it 65-60 with just 1:56 remaining, capping a 19-4 run by the visitors.

The most important sequence of the game followed immediately. On the ensuing possession, South Dakota’s Turrubiates answered the Tommies’ charge with a critical turnaround jumper in the lane, assisted by Josie Hill, to push the lead back to seven with 1:18 left. Saint Thomas then missed a layup on its next trip, and the Coyotes ran down the shot clock before Turrubiates scored again on a driving layup, assisted by Robles, to seal the game at 67-60 with 42 seconds left.

Robles added three assists to her 20 points. Hill contributed 11 points, three assists and two blocks for South Dakota, while Jenna Hopp and Molly Joyce each added 10 points.

For Saint Thomas, Sand led the way with 12 points. Jada Hood scored 10 points, and Mikayla Werner added nine. The Tommies won the fourth quarter 19-6 but could not overcome their frigid first-half shooting and a 38-22 disadvantage in points in the paint.

A crowd of 1,388 watched the game. South Dakota now leads the season series 2-0, having also won 72-65 in St. Paul on Jan. 10. According to Interstat’s ELO system, South Dakota had a 72.90% probability to win.

Saint Thomas will host South Dakota State next Wednesday. South Dakota prepares for a key conference matchup at home against South Dakota State on Saturday.