TULSA, Okla. (Interstat) — In a gritty, defensive-minded rematch of a lopsided loss from just a month prior, the South Dakota Coyotes used a dominant second quarter and a clutch performance from Angelina Robles to secure a 74-69 road victory over the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in a Summit League women’s basketball game Saturday at the Mabee Center.

The win, played before an announced crowd of 537, avenged a 22-point home defeat to Oral Roberts on Jan. 8 and improved South Dakota to 19-6 overall. Oral Roberts fell to 12-11.

The most critical phase of the contest unfolded in the second quarter. After a tightly contested opening period that saw South Dakota lead 18-16, the Coyotes locked down defensively. They held the Golden Eagles to a mere nine points on 3-of-14 shooting in the frame while forcing six turnovers. Offensively, South Dakota methodically built its lead, scoring 19 points with 12 coming in the paint. A driving layup by Patience Williams with 44 seconds left in the half capped the surge and sent the Coyotes into the break with a commanding 37-25 advantage.

Oral Roberts refused to capitulate, mounting a fierce comeback in the third quarter behind a barrage of three-pointers. The Golden Eagles erupted for 25 points in the period, hitting 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. A three-pointer from Bella Edwards with 40 seconds remaining in the quarter capped a 14-4 run and brought Oral Roberts within a single possession at 50-47. The Golden Eagles’ offensive rating, a dismal 52.6 in the second quarter, soared to 138.9 in the third.

The fourth quarter became a tense affair of answered baskets and critical stops. Every time Oral Roberts threatened to draw even, South Dakota found a response, often from its star guard. With the Coyotes leading 61-59 and under four minutes to play, Robles drew a foul and sank two free throws. On the next possession, after an Oral Roberts turnover, she drove for a layup to push the lead back to six.

Oral Roberts had one final chance, down 70-67 with 16 seconds left. Anna Trusty found Gentry Baldwin for a corner three-pointer that cut the deficit to 70-69. On the ensuing inbounds play, Robles was immediately fouled. The sophomore from San Diego, an 84% free-throw shooter entering the game, calmly sank both attempts with nine seconds left to restore a three-point cushion. After a missed Oral Roberts three-pointer, Robles grabbed the defensive rebound, was fouled again, and sealed the game with two more makes from the line.

Robles finished with a game-high 28 points, adding four assists in 38 minutes. She was instrumental down the stretch, scoring 10 of South Dakota’s final 16 points. Williams provided crucial interior production with 19 points and two blocks, while Molly Joyce added 14 points and three assists.

The Coyotes won despite struggling from the perimeter, making only 3 of 16 three-point attempts. They compensated with superior efficiency inside, outscoring Oral Roberts 42-26 in the paint and earning 27 free-throw attempts to Oral Roberts’ 20. South Dakota also won the turnover battle, committing 12 while forcing 14, which led to a 17-14 edge in points off turnovers.

Oral Roberts was led by Kayten Donley’s 16 points and Jalei Oglesby’s 13. The Golden Eagles shot a respectable 9 for 21 from three-point range but were hampered by 10-of-20 shooting from the foul line and a subpar offensive rating of 90.2 for the game.

South Dakota’s defense in the second quarter proved to be the foundational stretch, providing the cushion necessary to withstand Oral Roberts’ potent third-quarter rally. The Coyotes’ poise in the final minutes, executed primarily through Robles, closed out a significant conference road victory.

The Coyotes return home to face Missouri-Kansas City on Thursday. Oral Roberts travels to play Saint Thomas (Minn.) on Wednesday.