Fannin scores 20 and Hoskinson has double-double to send USF WBB to 4th straight win

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (USF) – With 20 points from Megan Fannin and a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds by Dallie Hoskinson, the University of Sioux Falls Women’s Basketball Team (6-3, 3-1 NSIC) picked up its fourth consecutive win as the Cougars rolled to a 73-50 win over Upper Iowa (1-8, 0-4 NSIC) on Friday night in NSIC South Division play at the Stewart Center.

USF defeated Upper Iowa for the 16^th straight time and now holds a 19-1 overall series advantage. With the victory, USF moved to 3-1 in the NSIC South (6-3 overall) and is tied for second in the standings.

USF Head Coach Travis Traphagen, who earned his 257^th career win, was pleased with his team effort at both ends of the floor.

“When you hold a team to 50 points, you can win a lot of games,” said Traphagen, whose team hosts Winona State (4-4, 1-3 NSIC) at 5:30 pm on Saturday. “With a team like Upper Iowa, who spread the floor and runs an efficient offense, this defensive performance and attention to detail make me proud. I am especially pleased when you consider this was finals week. It was great to see the effort,” said Traphagen.  

“I thought our team was focused,” Traphagen added. “We had some laps on offense but we played really well and it is great to see the continued development of our team,” he said.

USF’s leading scorer, Megan Fannin, a freshman guard from Watertown, S.D., had her eighth consecutive game of double-digit scoring and her second straight with 20 points. Fannin has scored 20 or more points five times in her career. Against UIU, she was 7-of-17 from the field with four triples in 10 attempts while adding six rebounds, which was her second-best total this season.

Hoskinson, a junior from Hugoton, Kan., recorded her third double-double of her career at USF with her 13^th during her collegiate career (Johnson Community College). She now has four double-digit scoring games this season with eight in her career. The 11 rebounds for Hoskinson was a team-season high and her six assists were also a best this season. She made 5-of-10 from the field and added a triple.

USF had a career-best night from freshman Jemae Nichols of Cherokee, Iowa, who reached double-digit rebounds for the first time with 10. She had a career-best eight points by hitting 3-of-5 from the field and adding two assists and a blocked shot. 
Also for the Cougars, freshman guard Olivia Gamoke of Onalaska, Wis., had 10 points from five rebounds. In her seventh career start, she had her fourth double-digit scoring game. Also for USF, Danielle Schaub of Brooklyn Park, Minn., had eight points, including a pair of triples. Junior forward Kiara James of Lakeville, Minn., supplied seven points and six rebounds.

Overall, the Cougars hit 29-of-71 field goals for 40.8 percent and was 10-of-29 for 34.5 percent from three-point range. The Cougars, which hit 5-of-6 free throws, had a substantial rebound advantage of 53-33. Tonight’s game represented the third straight time that USF won the battle on the glass. USF, which had a season-low 10 turnovers, held a 26-to-14 advantage with points in the paint.
With the advantage on the boards, the Cougars had an 18-to-4 margin in second-chance points. Plus, the deep USF bench provided a 30-to-4 margin in points.

UIU, which was led by 17 points from Lydia Haack and 15 by Jessica Musgrave, was 17-of-60 from the field for 28.3 percent. They made just 8-of-29 from three-point range for 27.6 percent.

Scoring Summary –
The Cougars jumped to a 17-12 lead after one quarter as the Cougars hit 6-of-22 from the field for 27.3 percent but knocked home three triples. USF held UIU to 31.3 percent shooting on 5-of-16 shooting (2-of-9 from three-point range).

In the second quarter, USF limited Upper Iowa to eight points and with 17 points on their end took a 34-20 lead to the half-time break. In the quarter, USF was 7-of-16 from the field for 43.8 percent and knocked in three triples in seven attempts. Meanwhile, UIU was 3-of-14 for 21.4 percent in the quarter and missed all of its three-point attempts. The Peacocks had cut USF’s lead to 17-14 with 9:06 to play before USF regained control. The Cougars took a 28-18 lead on a lay-up from Janes with 2:29 to play. Then, the Cougars closed on a 6-2 run with Gamoke’s three-pointer providing a 34-20 lead with 53 seconds to go.

In the third quarter, USF continued to hold the edge and had a 17-to-11 advantage for a 51-to-31 lead. The Cougars converted 6-of-13 field goals for 46.2 percent and made a pair of three-pointers. Upper Iowa was just 2-of-14 from the field for 14.3 percent but made 6-of-8 foul shots. USF extended their lead to 19 points when Hoskinson’s jumper provided the Cougars with a 44-25 lead with 5:58 left in the quarter.  Then, the Cougars pushed the lead to 23 (49-26, 2:00, 3^rd Q) when James scored inside.

Both teams had a solid performance in the fourth quarter with USF owning a 22-19 advantage. The Cougars hit 10-of-20 field goals with a pair of triples in six attempts. UIU was 7-of-16 for 43.8 percent but made five three-pointers in 10 attempts. The Peacocks cut the lead to 60-45 on a three-point shot from Brooke Evenson. However, the Cougars countered with a three-pointer from Sydney White (1:32, 4^th Q) and a jumper by Lizzie Olson (:45, 4^th Q) to push the lead back to 23 at 73-50.