OMAHA, Neb. (Interstat) — The South Dakota Coyotes used a dominant defensive performance and a balanced scoring attack to cruise past the Omaha Mavericks 67-39 in a Summit League women’s basketball game Thursday night at Baxter Arena.

From the opening tip, South Dakota established control, holding Omaha to just seven points in each of the first two quarters. The Coyotes led 15-7 after one quarter and extended their advantage to 31-14 by halftime. The Mavericks struggled profoundly against South Dakota’s defensive pressure, committing 16 turnovers and shooting a frigid 22 percent from the field for the game. Omaha managed only 12 made field goals on 54 attempts.

South Dakota’s defense was the story, but its offense found consistent production from multiple sources. Angelina Robles, a guard from San Diego, led the Coyotes with 15 points and added three assists in 33 minutes. Molly Joyce of Algona, Iowa, contributed 16 points and two blocks, while Josie Hill of Rapid City, South Dakota, provided 10 points, three assists and a block off the bench. Elise Turrubiates of Hobbs, New Mexico, also reached double figures with 10 points.

The most important part of the game was the opening quarter, where South Dakota set an immediate and insurmountable tone. The Coyotes opened with a 9-0 run, keyed by an early three-pointer from Turrubiates and a driving layup from Robles following a steal. Omaha missed its first eight field goal attempts and turned the ball over four times before finally scoring its first points on a free throw with 6:37 remaining in the period. South Dakota’s interior defense, led by Patience Williams with two early blocks, disrupted Omaha’s offense completely, holding the Mavericks to 2-of-16 shooting in the quarter. This early burst effectively decided the contest, as Omaha never threatened thereafter.

Omaha, which fell to 2-20 overall and 0-7 in the Summit League, was led by Leekaya Burke-Perryman of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who scored 12 points. Sarai Estupiñan of Cedar Park, Texas, added 10 points. Avril Smith, a hometown product from Omaha, was a defensive presence with six blocks but was limited to three points.

South Dakota improved to 15-5 overall and 5-2 in conference play. The Coyotes shot 41 percent from the field and out-assisted Omaha 7-3. They also converted Omaha’s 16 turnovers into 15 points.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 1,334 at Baxter Arena.

South Dakota, which has won three straight conference games, will travel to face North Dakota State on Saturday. Omaha, mired in a seven-game losing streak, will play at South Dakota State next Wednesday.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, South Dakota had a 78.30 percent probability to win entering the contest.