Women's Basketball 2000-2001 Season Review
The 2000-01 South Dakota women's basketball team continued to make progress under third year head coach Chad Lavin. While the Coyotes had its share of offensive struggles, the team excelled on defense, which enabled to Coyotes to build a late season six-game winning streak en route to their first winning season in eight years.
South Dakota, which lost to North Dakota State 74-53 in a quarterfinal game of the Wells Fargo Finals NCC Postseason Tournament February 27, finished the season 15-12, including 9-9 in the NCC, which was good for fifth in the conference. The Coyotes won eight of its final 12 games, enjoying their best season since the 1992-93 team went 16-11.
Since Lavin's first year, the Coyotes have improved their seasonal win total by eight games. Lavin is now 115-80 (.590) at South Dakota and 289-243 (.540) overall. The Coyotes averaged 69.4 points per game during the 2000-01 season. The Coyotes recorded a 9-4 home record and were 6-6 on the road. Offensively, South Dakota hit 39.4 percent (657-of-1667) of their field goals and 73 percent (405-of-555) of their free throws. While the Coyotes struggled shooting the ball, they were among the top defensive teams in the conference. South Dakota limited opponents to 64.7 points per game and 37.7 percent shooting from the field. The Coyotes, who hit 30.4 percent of their three-pointers, limited opponents to 28.7 shooting from long distance. South Dakota averaged 7.8 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. In addition, the Coyotes, who committed 11.1 turnovers per game, forced 15.5 turnovers by opponents. Click here to view the full season statistics for the 2000-01 season.
The hard work on defense was a key reason that the Coyotes were able to go on a six-game winning streak late in the season. That streak was the Coyotes' longest since 1983-84. During the late season run, the Coyotes recorded consecutive home wins over North Dakota State (72-71 in overtime) and North Dakota (74-65). Both North Dakota teams were ranked in the top 10 in NCAA Division II when South Dakota recorded wins (North Dakota was No. 3, North Dakota was No. 9). It was the first time since the 1983-84 season that the Coyotes defeated both North Dakota schools in consecutive games at home. Interestingly, Lavin was also the coach of that 1983-84 squad.
Senior guard Kelly Gese was named all-North Central Conference during a solid senior season in 2000-01. Gese, who averaged 11.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, was named all-NCC for the second time. She was also honored during the 1998-99 season when she was also picked all-North Central Region. In her career, Gese scored 1,293 points, which places her fifth on the Coyotes' career scoring chart. Her 436 career assists places her third on the Coyotes' career list and her 129 steals is 14th on the school's career list. She was also named to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader College First Team.
Gese, along with senior Kelly Koepp and sophomore Julia Frie were named to the academic all-NCC squad. Frie, a sophomore, led the Coyotes in scoring and rebounding with 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per outing. Koepp finished her career at South Dakota by averaging 10.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Her 38 points vs. Concordia on Nov. 20, 2000 is a Coyote single-game record.
With 61 three-point baskets this season, freshman Krista Orsack finished with the fourth-best total for made three-point baskets in school history. In just a year and half, sophomore Heather Nelson (31 in 2000-01) has moved into fourth place on the career three-point field goals list with 79. Others ahead of her include Shelby Petersen Mayer (1990-94), 271; Anne Knudtson (1994-98), 131; and Sherri Bitter (1991-95), 81. Nicole Jaycox had 21 three-pointers this year, which gives her 69 for her career, which is sixth most in school history. Frie is seventh best all-time with 61 three-point baskets, including 16 this season.
This season the Coyotes had two NCC Players of the Week. Julia Frie was honored Dec. 4 while Kelly Gese received the award on Feb. 12. In a Dec. 2 game vs. Minnesota-Morris, the Coyotes set two records and tied another in a 113-39 win. By scoring 113 points, South Dakota broke the 1982 record of 110 points set on Nov. 26, 1982 against Metro State. The Coyotes set a record for most three-point baskets in a game by hitting 13-of-29 three-point shots for 45 percent. That effort broke the mark of 11 three-pointers set by the 1991-92 team and the 1999-2000 squad. Three times South Dakota teams have made 11 three-point baskets, including a Jan. 8, 1992 game vs. Peru State and a Jan. 31, 1992 game against Augustana. The 1999-00 team also hit 11 three-pointers in a Jan. 22, 2000 game with Morningside. South Dakota also tied the Coyotes' record for most assists in a game. The total of 35 vs. Minnesota-Morris tied the record set by the Coyotes on Jan. 14, 1989 vs. Mankato State (now Minnesota State, Mankato). The 113 points were the second most in the NCC this season while the 43 field goals were an NCC high. The 13 three-point field goals were also an NCC high. South Dakota hit 36-of-51 free throws vs. St. Cloud State in a 79-74 win on Dec. 9. The 36 made free throws were the second best NCC total and the 51 attempts were an NCC high.
In NCC team categories, the Coyotes were first in free throw percentage with 73 percent and first in field goal percentage defense (37.6 percent). South Dakota was also first in three-point field goal percentage defense (28.8 percent) and first in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.39). The Coyotes were second in three-point field goals made per game (5.81).
Individually, Gese was first in the NCC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.55 and third in the conference with 5.38 assists per game. Orsack was second in the NCC in three-point field goals made per game (2.27) while Amanda Iverson was second in free throw percentage at 83 percent (62-of-75); Gese, third at 82.2 percent (83-of-101); and Julia Frie, fifth at 81 percent (68-of-84).
