# 2019–20 South Dakota Coyotes women's basketball team

The 2019–20 South Dakota Coyotes women's basketball team represented University of South Dakota in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Coyotes, led by fourth year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit, competed in the Summit League. They played home games in Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, South Dakota. The Coyotes finished the season ranked 17th in the AP Poll and eleventh in the coaches poll. It was the highest finish by any Summit League team and were in the top 25 ranking for 16 straight weeks, also setting a record.

## Previous season

The Coyotes went 28–6 overall and 14–2 in Summit League play. At one point during the season South Dakota were ranked for the first time in school history. In the Summit League Tournament the Coyotes reached the championship game for the sixth time in the last seven years and would again face South Dakota State for the fifth time in those six years. South Dakota reached the NCAA tournament, after the Summit League tournament loss to South Dakota State, as an at-large bid in the Portland Regional as a number 8 seed. They would face off against the Clemson but end up losing 79–66.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Allison Arens | 10 | G | 5'10" | Senior | Crofton, NE | Graduated |
| Courtney Schoenbeck | 4 | G | 5'8" | Freshman | Walworth, WI | Transferred to Wisconsin-Parkside |

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season ||||||
| November 5, 2019* 12:05 pm, NESN/FLOHOOPS | | vs. Northeastern | W 80–76 | 1–0 | Cabot Center (818) Boston, MA |
| November 9, 2019* 1:00 pm, ESPN3 | | at Green Bay | W 66–60 | 2–0 | Kress Events Center (1,997) Green Bay, WI |
| November 13, 2019* 7:00 pm, MIDCOSN/ESPN+ | | Drake | W 102–94 $^{OT}$ | 3–0 | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,330) Vermillion, SD |
| November 16, 2019* 12:00 pm | | at Utah | W 84–81 $^{OT}$ | 4–0 | Jon M. Huntsman Center (2,139) Salt Lake City, UT |
| November 21, 2019* 7:00 pm | | Missouri | W 72–56 | 5–0 | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,407) Vermillion, SD |
| November 25, 2019* 7:00 pm, MIDCOSN2/ESPN+ | | Missouri State | L 66–74 | 5–1 | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,115) Vermillion, SD |
| November 29, 2019* 5:30 pm | | vs. Ohio State South Point Thanksgiving Shootout | W 68–53 | 6–1 | South Point Arena (300) Las Vegas, NV |
| November 30, 2019* 3:15 pm | | vs. Northern Illinois South Point Thanksgiving Shootout | W 91–48 | 7–1 | South Point Arena (350) Las Vegas, NV |
| December 4, 2019* 7:00 pm, MIDCOSN/ESPN+ | | Creighton | W 72–65 | 8–1 | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,146) Vermillion, SD |
| December 7, 2019* 1:00 pm | | Coppin State | W 82–44 | 9–1 | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,542) Vermillion, SD |
| December 11, 2019* 7:00 pm | | Mount Marty College | W 110–39 | 10–1 | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,471) Vermillion, SD |
| December 15, 2019* 1:00 pm, MIDCOSN/ESPN+ | | Montana | W 96–64 | 11–1 | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,770) Vermillion, SD |
| December 22, 2019* 11:00 am, SECN+ | No. 25 | at No. 5 South Carolina | L 60–73 | 11–2 | Colonial Life Arena (10,505) Columbia, SC |
| Summit League Regular Season ||||||
| December 29, 2019 2:00 pm | | at Western Illinois | W 96–65 | 12–2 (1–0) | Western Hall (576) Macomb, IL |
| January 1, 2020 11:30 am | | at Purdue Fort Wayne | W 62–41 | 13–2 (2–0) | Hilliard Gates Sports Center (392) Fort Wayne, IN |
| January 5, 2020 1:00 pm | | Denver | W 104–61 | 14–2 (3–0) | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,921) Vermillion, SD |
| January 11, 2020 1:00 pm, MIDCOSN/ESPN3 | No. 22 | Omaha | W 77–44 | 15–2 (4–0) | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,576) Vermillion, SD |
| January 16, 2020 7:00 pm, MIDCOSN2/ESPN3 | No. 25 | at North Dakota State | W 80–36 | 16–2 (5–0) | Scheels Center (465) Fargo, ND |
| January 19, 2020 1:00 pm, MIDCOSN/ESPN3 | No. 25 | South Dakota State | W 83–48 | 17–2 (6–0) | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (5,153) Vermillion, SD |
| January 24, 2019 7:00 pm | No. 24 | Purdue Fort Wayne | W 79–25 | 18–2 (7–0) | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,786) Vermillion, SD |
| January 26, 2019 1:00 pm, MIDCOSN2/ESPN+ | No. 24 | Oral Roberts | W 79–56 | 19–2 (8–0) | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,857) Vermillion, SD |
| January 29, 2020 7:00 pm, MIDCOSN/ESPN3 | No. 21 | at Omaha | W 71–39 | 20–2 (9–0) | Baxter Arena (631) Omaha, NE |
| February 2, 2020 2:00 pm | No. 21 | at Denver | W 92–60 | 21–2 (10–0) | Hamilton Gymnasium (316) Denver, CO |
| February 9, 2020 2:00 pm, MIDCOSN/ESPN+ | No. 22 | at North Dakota | W 93–46 | 22–2 (11–0) | Betty Engelstad Sioux Center (1,553) Grand Forks, ND |
| February 13, 2020 7:00 pm, MIDCOSN/ESPN+ | No. 21 | Western Illinois | W 88–51 | 23–2 (12–0) | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,888) Vermillion, SD |
| February 15, 2020 2:00 pm | No. 21 | at Oral Roberts | W 77–73 | 24–2 (13–0) | Mabee Center (1,256) Tulsa, OK |
| February 20, 2020 7:00 pm, MIDCOSN2/ESPN+ | No. 20 | North Dakota State Coach P's Pack Night/Pink Game | W 96–57 | 25–2 (14–0) | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,260) Vermillion, SD |
| February 22, 2020 2:00 pm, MIDCOSN2/ESPN3 | No. 20 | at South Dakota State | W 77–67 | 26–2 (15–0) | Frost Arena (3,672) Brookings, SD |
| February 29, 2020 1:00 pm | No. 20 | North Dakota Senior Day | W 76–47 | 27–2 (16–0) | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (3,863) Vermillion, SD |
| Summit League Women's Tournament ||||||
| March 7, 2020 12:00 pm, MidcosSN/ESPN+ | (1) No. 17 | vs. (8) Omaha Quarterfinals | W 99–40 | 28–2 | Denny Sanford Premier Center Sioux Falls, SD |
| March 9, 2020 12:00 pm, MidcosSN/ESPN+ | (1) No. 17 | vs. (4) Oral Roberts Semifinals | W 65–43 | 29–2 | Denny Sanford Premier Center Sioux Falls, SD |
| March 10, 2020 1:00 pm, ESPNU | (1) No. 17 | vs. (2) South Dakota State Championship | W 63–48 | 30–2 | Denny Sanford Premier Center (7,833) Sioux Falls, SD |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. "2019–20 Schedule & Results". University of South Dakota Athletics. Retrieved February 17, 2020. ||||||

## Rankings

2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings
Legend :
| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| (RV) | Received Votes |
| (NR) | Not Ranked |