South Dakota shocks Baylor in second spherical of NCAA ladies’s basketball event, ending Candy 16 streak

Hours after Creighton surprised Iowa on Sunday afternoon, South Dakota determined to affix in on the enjoyable.

The Coyotes took down Baylor 61-47 on its dwelling flooring for the second 10-seed upset of a 2-seed of the day. The Bears had made the Candy 16 12 consecutive instances previous to this loss, snapping the fourth-longest such streak in NCAA event historical past.

After a powerful surge on the finish of the common season and within the Large 12 event, the place her crew fell within the championship sport to Texas, Baylor’s Nicki Collen concludes her first season on the helm in Waco, Texas, with a 28-7 report. Getting into the NCAA event, the Bears had received 17 of their earlier 19 video games.

Baylor star NaLyssa Smith, an anticipated top-two WNBA draft choose subsequent month, had 10 factors on 4-for-11 taking pictures within the closing sport of her collegiate profession.

The Bears’ early exit marks the primary time since 2016 that two or extra top-two seeds misplaced within the first two rounds of the event. That yr, Maryland and Arizona State, each 2-seeds, misplaced within the second spherical. It is usually the primary time since 2018 that two double-digit seeds made the Candy 16 (Central Michigan and Buffalo did in order that yr).

With the win, South Dakota advances to this system’s first Candy 16 in class historical past. It’s simply the second time a program from the Summit League has made it to the second weekend of the NCAA event, with South Dakota State beforehand making the Candy 16 in 2019 the place it finally fell to Oregon.

South Dakota, which upset 7-seed Ole Miss within the first spherical of the event to clinch a matchup with the Bears, struck first with a three by Hannah Sjerven 32 seconds in and led the remainder of the way in which. The Coyotes bounced out to an 11-Zero run and held Baylor scoreless for the primary 7:04 of the sport in what South Dakota coach Daybreak Plitzuweit known as a “fearless” efficiency from her squad.

“Simply doing all the pieces at a really excessive, 100% degree, not doing something half-heartedly,” guard Liv Korngable stated of the hassle. “Pulling from coaches and gamers and one another, that is an enormous, huge a part of our fearlessness and confidence.”

The Coyotes’ trio of “tremendous seniors” — Korngable, Sjerven and Chloe Lamb — returned to Vermillion with their sights set on attaining one thing unprecedented for this system, which moved up from Division II to Division I competitors in 2008-09. However the probability of that wasn’t essentially obvious early on, with South Dakota going 1-Four towards Energy 5 groups in nonconference play.

“I simply stored considering, ‘We have simply received to sort of cling tight,'” Plitzuweit stated. “Been occupied with it lots the final couple days with the draw that we now have, two Energy 5s … to now have the ability to see, ‘OK, perhaps it did not come straight away, however now we now have an opportunity to do one thing actually particular.'”

The tremendous seniors delivered, combining for slightly below 70% of South Dakota’s factors towards the Bears.

Baylor pulled inside 4 late within the second quarter earlier than permitting a 9-2 run to shut the half after which principally trailed by double figures after that, managing to chop the deficit to eight at finest.

Baylor will look to maneuver ahead subsequent season with out Smith, Jordan Lewis and doubtlessly Queen Egbo as Collen enters yr two of the top job after succeeding three-time nationwide championship coach Kim Mulkey when she left for LSU.

“All coaches say that you have simply received to belief the method,” Collen stated. “However change is tough. Change is admittedly, actually laborious. For everybody. I’ve discovered that I am harder than I’d’ve ever thought. That I am extra resilient. I feel I can coach with anyone within the nation. I’ve received an unbelievable workers.”

Collen had beforehand spoken following Baylor’s loss to Texas within the Large 12 event title sport in regards to the difficulties of assuming the job and never eager to let her crew down.

“I feel slowly and absolutely the Baylor household realized that perhaps I do slot in right here,” Collen stated. “No matter that seems like or appears like, and I feel that was laborious for them, too. I feel change is tough, and so I am extremely grateful. I am positive they are not pleased with me proper now. That is OK, as a result of I am not actual pleased with me proper now both.

“I do know we will be okay, however proper now it simply hurts to not be planning a visit to Wichita.”