VERMILLION, S.D. - South Dakota raced out to a 12-0 lead Thursday night and never looked back, as the Coyotes beat the North Dakota State women's basketball team 96-57. The Coyotes entered the game ranked 15th in the USA Today/WBCA Poll and 20th in the Associated Press Top 25. South Dakota is also the top-ranked team in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll.

The Bison dropped to 8-17 overall and 5-8 in Summit League play. South Dakota improved to 25-2 overall and 14-0 in league play. The Bison clinched a spot in the Summit League Tournament with the win, while South Dakota clinched at least a share of the Summit League title. NDSU will travel to North Dakota on Sunday, Feb. 23. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. in Grand Forks. Both teams enter the game with a 5-8 league record and are tied for sixth in the standings with three games remaining.

Michelle Gaislerova led the Bison with 15 points, while Ryan Cobbins joined her in double figures with 10 points. It was the fifth-straight game in double figures for Gaislerova. With a pair of free throws, Gaislerova extended her NCAA Division I women's basketball record to 74 consecutive free throws made. Sofija Zivaljevic added nine points. Danneka Voegeli led the Bison with six rebounds, while Olivia Skibiel grabbed four. Zivaljevic had a pair of assists.

With the Coyotes up 20-10, NDSU went on an 8-3 run to cut the lead to 23-18 with :30 left in the quarter. Just like the start of the game, South Dakota opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run, extending the lead to double figures for the remainder of the game. South Dakota took its largest lead of the game at 93-51 with 3:12 to play.

The Coyotes 96 points were the most points allowed by the Bison this season. NDSU dropped to 0-11 in the NCAA Division I era against teams ranked in the top 25.