VERMILLION, S.D. -- In a game in which virtually nothing went right for UND, the Sioux needed someone -- anyone -- to step forward.
Krissi Super and Jenny Hoffner answered the call. Both Sioux players took long-awaited steps to the front and helped UND avoid a major upset loss in the process.
The 3-point shooting of Super and Hoffner down the stretch rallied No. 1-ranked UND to a harder-than-expected 64-58 North Central Conference women's basketball victory over South Dakota on Friday night at the DakotaDome.
The victory was UND's 41st in a row and the six-point margin was the closest any team has come to the Sioux during the streak.
"We were lucky to get out of here with a win," said Hoffner, who had a team-high 14 points. "We weren't happy with our performance."
On paper, the game was expected to be a blowout for UND as South Dakota has been mired in the NCC basement for much of the decade, while the Sioux have won the past two NCAA Division II titles.
But it took everything UND had to avoid losing to a team that averages 55 points and is a long way from being an NCC contender.
"It goes to show you that you have to prepare for every team," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "We came out and weren't focused. We didn't have the eye of the tiger, and South Dakota came out and got up on us right away. And they found that they could play with us."
But South Dakota's chances of an upset faded when Super and Hoffner hit back-breaking 3-pointers in the final five minutes.
With UND trailing 50-49, Super drilled her first 3-pointer from the left wing. South Dakota's Kelly Gese responded with a 15-footer for a 52-all tie. But Super delivered another 3-pointer, this time from the right corner, for a 55-52 Sioux lead.
"People have been telling me to shoot all year," Super said. "I told myself that if I was open, I was going to shoot. And I was open."
South Dakota later grabbed a 56-55 lead on two Maegan Prickett free throws with 2:39 left, but Jenny Crouse's inside basket put the Sioux up 57-56. After a South Dakota miss, Hoffner -- taking a pass from a double-teamed Crouse -- nailed a 3-pointer for a 60-56 lead with 1:21 to play.
The Coyotes could not come within two points after that.
"(Super) comes off the bench cold and knocks down those two 3-pointers,"South Dakota coach Chad Lavin said. "If she doesn't make those, I don't know if they win the game."
Deliberate South Dakota led for much of the game. The Coyotes slowed the tempo and were aided by uncharacteristically poor Sioux shooting. The Sioux shot 25 percent in the first half and missed all 11 of their 3-point attempts.
UND's usually devastating running game was missing and the Coyotes gained confidence the longer they stayed in it.
"Everyone expected us to blow them out," Super said. "Maybe we expected to blow them out. Maybe that's why we came out a little flat. But we played good defense."
Hoffner and Crouse (13 points) were the only two Sioux in double figures. But Crouse dominated the boards, grabbing 13 rebounds. Jaime Pudenz, who came up with an offensive rebound and basket in the final minute, and reserve Casey Carroll added eight each.
South Dakota, led by Gese's 16 points, tried to limit Crouse's inside scoring by double-teaming the 6-foot-3 senior. If South Dakota was to lose, said Lavin, it would be players other than Crouse, Pudenz and Katie Richards who would beat it.
"Any time a team is totally outmanned in a basketball game, the only thing you can do is make the team's other players beat you," Lavin said.
UND's other players -- Super and Hoffner -- did just that.
| UND (64) | |||
| Name | FG | FT | Points |
| J. Pudenz | 2-8 | 4-5 | 8 |
| Jones | 3-9 | 0-0 | 7 |
| Hoffner | 5-12 | 2-2 | 14 |
| Winger | 1-6 | 2-2 | 4 |
| Super | 2-3 | 0-0 | 6 |
| Carroll | 3-9 | 2-2 | 8 |
| Richards | 2-9 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Crouse | 5-10 | 3-5 | 13 |
| Totals | 23-66 | 13-16 | 64 |
| South Dakota (58) | |||
| Prickett | 0-3 | 2-2 | 2 |
| Koronkirwicz | 2-3 | 2-2 | 6 |
| Heismeyer | 4-11 | 2-2 | 10 |
| Gese | 8-20 | 0-0 | 16 |
| Merrill | 2-4 | 0-0 | 5 |
| Gorman | 2-3 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Koehler | 5-8 | 0-0 | 13 |
| Gerwing | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Totals | 24-55 | 6-6 | 58 |