Box Score (PDF)

FARGO, N.D. – Sophomore guard Taylor Thunstedt scored a career-high 31 points, and senior Marena Whittle added a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but the North Dakota State women's basketball team fell to the South Dakota Coyotes in double overtime, 96-94, on Thursday, Jan. 14, in front of 386 spectators at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

It was the first double overtime contest for the Bison (5-13 overall, 0-5 Summit League) women since the 2013-14 season.

Thunstedt, a native of Spicer, Minn., shot 9-of-16 from the field, including a 5-of-9 effort from three-point range, and went 8-of-10 at the free-throw line to eclipse her old career-high of 28. She added five assists and three steals and played all 50 minutes of the game.

Freshman Kennedy Childers added 14 points and a career-high five steals, and Brooke Yaggie chipped in 12 points and four assists.

After South Dakota's Margaret McCloud converted a layup with 22 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to give the Yotes (12-5 overall, 3-1 Summit League) an 80-79 lead, Childers drained a three with three seconds remaining in the stanza to put the Bison in front, 82-80. USD's Nicole Seekamp, The Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, converted a jumper shot at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime, 82-82.

Just 33 seconds into OT, Childers was whistled for her fifth foul, leaving the Bison with only five players after Whittle fouled out in the fourth quarter.

Brittany Wiebe put NDSU in front, 88-85, after converting a layup with 2:34 on the clock, but the Yotes Kate Liveringhouse scored three straight points to knot the game at 88.

South Dakota had an opportunity to take a lead after McCloud was fouled with 2.1 seconds remaining in the extra stanza, but she missed two free throws to send the contest into double overtime.

Thunstedt scored five straight points on a three and two free throws in the opening 2:18 of the second extra stanza to give the Bison a 93-88 lead, but the Coyotes responded with a 6-0 run to gain a 94-93 advantage after a layup from Caitlin Duffy with just over a minute remaining.

NDSU shot 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range in the game, and added a 78 percent performance at the free-throw line.

The Bison outscored South Dakota in the paint, 40-38, and turned 22 Coyote turnovers into 24 points, but were outrebounded by USD in the game, 44-34.

Seekamp tallied a double-double with 25 points and 10 assists to lead the Yotes, while McCloud also added a double-double with 12 points and a team-high 10 boards.

The Coyotes shot 49 percent from the field, 36 percent from three-point range and 65 percent from the charity stripe.

North Dakota State is scheduled to travel to Indianapolis to take on IUPUI on Saturday, Jan. 16. Tip-off inside The Jungle is slated for 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT).