South Dakota women's basketball head coach Don Plitzuwit bangs his head around the confetti-laden center court at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. About half an hour after the game and the coyotes were still going through the net-cutting ceremony.
"Did everyone cut it?" he said, pointing to the net hanging by just a few more threads. Hardly anyone was paying attention. That was his sign.
"Okay," she continued. "Let's put an end to this bad boy."
Plitzuweit climbed the ladder to the bottom of the basket, No. 2 South Dakota (26-5, 17-1 summit) after topping No. 1 South Dakota State (23-9, 17-) three times in three years is going on. 1) 56-45 on Monday for their third straight Summit League tournament title. She climbed the stairs using orange scissors. Snip, Snip, Snip. He tore the net off the rim and swung it upwards and the scattered commotion stopped. Coyotes players and staff turned and cheered.
It should have been a relief, Plitzuivit said. That's what the coyotes wanted. They have it. And they deserved it. But it was not a relief. From the flurry of the court to the acknowledgment of the seniors coming back after the game, it was pure joy.
"Just because you want to, doesn't mean you have to reach out," Plitzuvit said. "I couldn't be more excited for them."
South Dakota earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which would mark their fourth-straight berth and, ultimately, their third appearance in the last three NCAA Tournaments. The 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
From the start of the season, South Dakota seemed to be on another level. With the return of Super Seniors Chloe Lamb, Liv Kornable and Hannah Sjrven, the Coyotes were ready to make it their target and more. USD did what it usually did against Summit League opponents and beat its only true competitor in the Jackrabbits by a mark that proved the Coyotes were way above their counterparts. But a defeat in their second meeting overturned the narrative, the net rankings, the understanding of who rules the conference and who could overtake the NCAA Tournament. Yet after a win today, South Dakota doesn't have to rely on narratives. They are inside.
"We've always been together but we've let people in and people come in," Korngable said. "Each group has that experience differently. You'll have a different flow, but some things stay the same."
South Dakota's lead was 19 points and 10 rebounds from center Sjerven. Lamb added 17 points, Kornable added 11 and new guard Grace Larkins added six points, all of whom seemed to be in the big moments. The Coyotes led SDSU shooting 34.8% and SDSU leading Maia Sealand 0-10. "It's amazing," Kornable said. The Jacobites were led by 15 from guard Tylee Irwin and 14 from Patton Burkhard.
South Dakota's defense began strong, but the offense did not immediately follow. Coyotes shot 20% in the first quarter, leading to a similar struggle for the Jackrabbits. But SDSU made 3. Patton Burkhard had four makes from deep in the first half, and even as the USD defense dropped the Jackrabbits' shooting percentage below him, the score took no notable swing.
Plitzuweit said the coyotes were struggling to make passes on the periphery. But even what appears to be USD has not been found.
"South Dakota State is a very good defensive team," Plitzuwit said.
But early in the third quarter, South Dakota guard Chloe Lamb took the game into her own hands. Final Tournament Most Valuable Player stepped back to the left baseline for the Coyotes' first make. Then step back on left elbow for a 3-pointer to propel the coyotes. Then guard Liv Kornable added one. Fellow-Senior Hannah Scherwen picked up block after block. The Coyotes Seniors had taken over, but then, they showed their balance.
Guard Lamb and Maisie Guebert were on either side of freshman guard Grace Larkins as he wound up in the third quarter. Larkins went to one side then the other, and both Guebert and Lamb waved to him. So, Larkins kept his head down, turned into the lane and scored with his left hand as the buzzer ended and gave the Coyotes an eight-point lead in the final quarter.
Top to bottom, South Dakota provided an example of why this summit was the league's flagship event. The Jackrabbits fought for the rebound, got good shots, came out in front of the USD scorer. South Dakota had to earn it. And he did. It fought through the lapses of the fourth quarter, fighting fouls, back in the air with momentum when it mattered for 3 from the Jacobites. With only six minutes remaining in the game, Korngable struck another 3-pointer. Jackrabbits needed a timeout and the USD sideline displayed volume.
"You never really feel safe," Lamb said. "But I think I felt comfortable and I was confident that we were going to make the plays we needed."
The USD kept pushing. Sealand interrupted when the Coyotes appeared openly on the rim. Sjerven made his way into the paint for two rebounds. The jackrabbits, running at them in time, threw a pass out of bounds. Sjerven pursed his lips and nodded his head, slapping Chloe Lamb's hand as he headed back to the bench. He had.
There are a few more misses, a few more fouls, a few more 3's that kicked off the arena, but it's been like this for three-straight years. Sjerven must know how he feels. With 4:40 remaining in the game, the Coyotes could feel it coming. This is just part of the goal. And with this win, there's no doubt they'll have a shot at completing the next.