Story byKELO Sioux FallsGrant SweeterFri, February 6, 2026 at 5:21 AM UTC·4 min readDENVER, CO (USD) — South Dakota women’s basketball relied its defense in a 53-42 win over Denver Thursday night in Denver. South Dakota needed a dominant second half defensively to pick up a win, and the Coyotes did just that. After allowing 15 points in the first and 14 in the second quarter, the Coyotes held Denver to just 13 points in the second half of the game to turn a four-point deficit into an 11 point win. Angelina Robles, the former Pioneer, led the Coyotes with 14 points, including six at the free throw line. Molly Joyce added 10 points, all in the first three quarters, including a five-point spurt of her own to end the third. When Patience Williams took the center circle for the opening jump, the Coyotes lead 1-0, as Denver was assessed a technical foul due to a technical issue prior to tipoff, and Molly Joyce made the free throw to give USD a lead before a second had come off the clock.