 "Photo: TAYLOR HAMBLIN, THE VOLANTE, 2010")
 "Photo: TAYLOR HAMBLIN, THE VOLANTE, 2010")
The USD women’s basketball team was looking to continue their winning ways with their weekend trip to Great West Conference rivals New Jersey Institute of Technology and Chicago State.
The women’s team lost to New Jersey Tech 55-53, and to Chicago State 72-61.
The Coyotes (12-14) had won their previous two games in their home stand against Great West Competition Utah Valley University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
USD had the daunting task of traveling to the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., to play New Jersey Tech (11-13).
The Coyotes and the New Jersey Tech Highlanders traded point for point throughout the first eight minutes of play with the score in favor for New Jersey, 9-7. From there the Highlanders would go on a six-point run to take a 15-7 lead at the 9:34 mark. The Coyotes would battle back and shoot three consecutive three pointers to take a 23-21 lead going into the half.
“They are a tough team,” sophomore Annie Roche said. “In the second half, we needed to make some plays and we just weren’t able to.”
In the second half, each team would battle for the lead trading point for point changing the lead six times throughout the first eight minutes. NJIT started to pull away and claim their biggest lead of the night with eight points, 53-45. The Coyotes wouldn’t go down that easy making a couple of free throws and a three-pointer by junior Abby Kinder and a three-pointer by Roche; to cut the Highlanders led to one point. USD would get a last second shot by junior Teresa Case with two seconds left on the clock but would miss the lay-up to seal the victory.
Kinder posted 14 points and four rebounds, while Roche added 11 points and four rebounds.
Sophomore Amber Hegge had a strong game with nine points, five rebounds and four blocks. Senior Jasmine Mosley supplied seven points and five rebounds. Rounding out the starters, senior Kara Iverson notched five points and four rebounds while Case had a good game coming off the bench, earning five points and four assists.
For the Highlanders, Jessica Gerald had 11 points, four rebounds and two steals. Katie Piekielski had a strong game off the bench with 10 points.
USD then went to Chicago State (11-18), which USD had previously beaten, 73-49, at the DakotaDome Feb. 11. They were looking to reenact this performance on the road this past Sunday.
The game started just like the NJIT game with neither team could gain ground on the other. At the 16-minute mark, the Chicago State Cougars pulled away from USD gaining a nine-point lead at the 9:30 mark.
The Coyotes would get on their own five-point streak to narrow the Cougars lead to four. The first half would end with Chicago State leading by eight points a deceit that the Coyotes wouldn’t be able to overcome.
The second quarter was all Chicago State; they would lead by as many 13 points in the second half. USD could make ground at times, but then give the double digit lead back. This game wouldn’t end in favor of USD, with the Coyotes taking a 72-61 loss.
Hegge led the Coyotes with 22 points, she also had six rebounds and three assists. Kinder’s solid performance with 14 points and four rebounds, while Iverson supplied eight points.
Roche added seven points and three rebounds, while Mosley posted six points and seven rebounds.
The Cougars shared in the wealth with five players on the team scoring double digits points.
USD is looking to rebound during their last three games of the season, all of which are at home.
“Every conference game is important,” Roche said. “We just have to take each game by game.”
USD’s next game will be against Great West third-ranked University of Texas Pan-American on Thursday, March 4.
Then the Coyotes will host Great West second-ranked New Jersey Institute of Technology on Saturday, March 6.
Finally, USD will finish out their season against a struggling Houston Baptist for their final home of season on Sunday, March 7.
Reach reporter Royal McGregor at Royal.McGregor@usd.edu.
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