The opening of the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, a visit from the Big Ten’s Illinois and a road trip to the SEC’s Arkansas highlight the 2016-17 South Dakota women’s basketball schedule released Wednesday. 

There are 13 non-conference games on the docket ahead of the Summit League opener, in which the Coyotes welcome Denver on Dec. 28. Five of those contests will be played inside the SCSC. 

South Dakota opens the season on Nov. 11 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. The Coyotes host Stephen F. Austin at 1 p.m. Nov. 13 in the first basketball game at the Sanford Coyotes Sports Center. The game is the first half of a doubleheader which includes the Coyote men against Bowling Green at 3:15 p.m. 

A four-game road stretch follows. The Coyotes head south to take on Arkansas of the SEC on Nov. 17 and Tulsa on Nov. 20. A trip to California follows for games against UC Riverside on Nov. 25 and CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 27. South Dakota also plays at Wyoming on Dec. 4.  

After road wins at Illinois and San Jose State in 2015, the two programs visit Vermillion on Dec. 7 and Dec. 11, respectively. The Coyotes also host Concordia-St. Paul (Nov. 30) and Northwestern College (Dec. 15). 

Non-conference action wraps up with the UMKC Tournament on Dec. 19-20. The Coyotes open with the hosts before facing either Southern Illinois or Northern Illinois in the second round.

 

“We look forward to the challenge of facing an SEC opponent on its home floor and taking on Big Ten foe Illinois in our new arena,” said Plitzuweit. “These challenges will help us prepare for competition in the Summit League.”

 

The 16-game Summit League slate starts with Denver for the second-straight season. South Dakota hosts in-state rival South Dakota State on New Year’s Eve. Game two of the series will be played in Brookings on Feb. 4. Omaha visits for senior night on Feb. 18 and the Coyotes wrap up the regular season on the road against Western Illinois on Feb. 25.