The Basics
Score: No. 2 South Dakota 81, No. 3 Kansas City 67
Records: South Dakota (26-5), Kansas City (23-8)
Location: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls, S.D.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 2 South Dakota kept No. 3 Kansas City at bay, beating the Roos 81-67 to advance to the Summit League Women's Championship title game. 
 
Player of the Year Chloe Lamb scored a career-high 33 points, powering a Coyotes’ attack that weathered multiple Kansas City runs and ultimately put the Roos away by winning the fourth quarter 22-17. Hannah Sjerven added 24 points and nine rebounds. 
 
“I thought it was a very challenging game and opportunity for us to really toughen, and I thought our ladies did that,” head coach Dawn Plitzuweit said after the game.
 
The Roos were led by all-league first teamer Naomie Alnatas, who scored 21 points in her final college game. Fellow first team selection and senior Brooklyn McDavid added 16 points. 
 
Kansas City made it difficult for the regular season co-champions throughout much of the first three quarters. The Roos were within six points (41-35) at halftime after an Alnatas driving layup as time expired in the second quarter. Kansas City needed every bit of that effort to withstand a torrid USD start as the Coyotes shot 61.2 percent from the field in the first half. 
 
That included a perfect 8-8 start from Lamb, who went on to make her first 11 shots (including three free throws). The door seemed to be left open for the Roos as Lamb and Sjerven went to the bench with three fouls each midway through the third quarter and Kansas City down just seven. 
 
Liv Korngable (10 points), however, hit a jumper on the ensuing possession to stem any potential run. The Roos would never get closer than nine the rest of the way in what was another swarming defensive effort for USD, which held Kansas City to just 36.4 percent from the field.
 
Mandy Willems was pivotal in Kansas City’s ability to stay in the game, hitting four three pointers and scoring 14 points. She, Alnatas and Kiara Bradley played all 40 minutes of the game. 
 
The Coyotes advance to face top-seeded and in-state rival South Dakota State in the championship game on ESPNU at 1 p.m. CT on Tuesday. 
 
Turning Point
USD stepped up with Lamb and Sjerven on the bench each with three fouls and the lead sitting at seven midway through the third quarter. Korngable drilled a jumper on the possession after Lamb left. After multiple stops, junior Macy Guebert hit a jumper to extend the lead to 11 points with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.
 
Inside the Box Score

• USD's Chloe Lamb started the game 8-for-8 from the field, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
• USD head coach Dawn Plitzuweit praised the contributions of Kyah Watson after the game, who played 36 minutes and had four rebounds and four assists. 
• KC's Kiara Bradley grabbed 10 rebounds, her second straight game with double digit rebounds after a career-high 12 against North Dakota State in the quarterfinals.

News & Notes

• Kansas City’s 23 wins tied for second-most in program history, trailing only the 1991-92 Roos’ team that won 24 games.
• This marked just the second time this season that Kansas City lost when Naomie Alnatas scored 20-plus points (11-2). 
• The Coyotes advance to their fifth straight Summit League championship, and first against South Dakota State since 2019-20.
• This was Lamb’s second game scoring 30 or more points this season, after scoring 30 against Pittsburgh in November.