The Basics
Score: No. 2 Oral Roberts 70, No. 7 South Dakota 50
Records: Oral Roberts (23-7, 12-4 SL), South Dakota (11-21, 5-11 SL)
Location: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls, S.D.



SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 2 seed Oral Roberts dominated the third quarter en route to a decisive 70-50 victory over No. 7 seed South Dakota in the opening quarterfinal of the 2025 Summit League Women's Basketball Championship on Thursday afternoon at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.

The Golden Eagles never trailed, fueled by Sixth Woman of the Year Jalei Oglesby, who erupted for all 18 of her team-high points in the second half. Oglesby spearheaded a game-changing third quarter, scoring 12 of ORU’s 19 points while the Golden Eagles’ suffocating defense held South Dakota scoreless for the final 7:39 of the period.

ORU secured its fourth consecutive semifinal appearance, with Oglesby leading a balanced attack that featured Taleyah Jones (15), Megan Weinrich (13) and Ruthie Uduomoh (11) all in double figures.

South Dakota’s Grace Larkins, the Summit League Player of the Year, kept the Coyotes within reach early, scoring all 11 of the Coyotes' first-quarter points. She was the lone bright spot for USD in the opening 10 minutes, hitting 5-of-8 shots while her teammates misfired on all eight of their attempts. Larkins finished with a game-high 24 points and 13 rebounds, notching the 30th double-double of her standout career.
 
Inside dominance set the tone for Oral Roberts early, with Uduomoh scoring all six of her points in the paint. The Golden Eagles took a 16-11 lead after one quarter, aided by a clutch three-pointer from Gentry Baldwin in the final minute after Larkins had trimmed the deficit to one.

ORU’s defense stifled Larkins in the second quarter, keeping her off the scoreboard. However, back-to-back three-pointers from Alexi Hempe and Gabby Wilke helped the Coyotes cut what was once a 12-point deficit down to six. But Jones had the final say before halftime, sinking a putback and a deep three in the closing minute to send ORU into the break with a 30-21 advantage.

The third quarter belonged entirely to the Golden Eagles. Oglesby caught fire, shooting 6-for-8 from the field, while ORU’s defense limited USD to just 2-of-12 shooting from the floor. The Coyotes couldn’t find an answer, going scoreless for the final seven and a half minutes as Oral Roberts built an insurmountable lead.

The Golden Eagles will play the winner of the 3-6 matchup between North Dakota State and Kansas City in Saturday's second semifinal, which starts 25 after the conclusion of the first. The women's semifinal session starts at 12 p.m. CT. 

Turning Point
Larkins' layup at the 7:39 mark of the third quarter trimmed the Coyotes' deficit to 32-25 but those would be the final points of the stanza for the Coyotes, who were outscored 17-0 from there.

Inside the Box Score

• The Golden Eagles' defense limited the Coyotes to 35 percent shooting from the floor, including a 6-for-29 effort from beyond the arc.
• Larkins collected her 16th double-double of her season and 30th of her career, finishing with game-highs in points (24) and rebounds (13).
• Larkins finished her career with 2,089 points, which puts her fifth on the all-time Summit League scoring charts. Her 24.0 ppg scoring average this season is the second-best mark behind Oral Roberts' Kevi Luper, who averaged 24.4 ppg in 2009-10. 
• Oglesby went scoreless on three missed field goals in the first half but responded with 18 second-half points and on a 9-for-11 effort from the floor.

News & Notes

• ORU has won the last six meetings in the series now after South Dakota had won 21 of the first 24.
• The Golden Eagles are making their fourth straight semifinal appearance and will be looking for their first title shot since the 2010 tournament.
• The Coyotes failed to win a game in the tournament for just the third time in the last nine seasons, which included championships in 2020, 2021 and 2022.