DES MOINES, Iowa - Kyndal Clark (Webb City, Mo.) scored a game-high 21 points, but a late rally by the Drake women's basketball team fell just short Sunday afternoon in its 2012-13 opener as the Bulldogs lost to the South Dakota Coyotes, 74-69, in front of 1,933 fans at the Knapp Center.

Liza Heap (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) scored 12 points, including six straight at one point, off the bench, to help spark a struggling Drake offense in the second half. A bucket and a three-pointer from the left wing by junior college transfer Mary Pat Specht (Shawnee, Kan.) trimmed the South Dakota lead to 69-63 with 2:24 left in the game, but South Dakota knocked down five throws the rest of the way to hold on for the victory. With the win South Dakota improves to 1-1 overall and Drake falls to 0-1 on the season.

Morgan Reid (Kansas City, Mo.) recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Alyssa Marschner (Plymouth, Minn.) and Carly Grenfell (York, Neb.) each added seven points.

Four players scored in double figures for the Coyotes led by Nicole Seekamp with 18 and she added five rebounds. Alexis Yackley (12), Tempestt Wilson (11) and Polly Harrington (10) rounded out the group.

A deep three-pointer by Pam January extended South Dakota's lead to 32-24 at the 7:21 mark of the opening half but Drake answered with four free throws, a long three by Clark, a layup by Grenfell and a short jumper by Marschner to take the lead at 35-34 with 4:24 left in the half.

The Coyotes outscored the Bulldogs, 7-2 the rest of the way, to take a 41-37 lead going into the break. Clark led all scorers in the first half with 11 points and added three rebounds. Reid scored six points and pulled down 10 rebounds. The Bulldogs limited South Dakota to only January's three-pointer and knocked down three of their own.

Seekamp had 10 points and three rebounds to pace South Dakota. Harrington added eight points and three rebounds.

South Dakota scored six straight points to build a 10-point lead (47-37) out of the break before Symone Daniels (Memphis, Tenn.) ended the run with a layup off a great pass from Marschner. Heidi Hoff's three-pointer extended the Coyotes lead to 57-41, its largest of the game.

The two teams played each other in another close game last season in the opening round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament in Vermillion, S.D. which the Coyotes won, 61-53. The banner to commemorate the 2012 WNIT was displayed prior to tip-off today.

First-year Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk was trying to become just the second head coach in school history to win her debut. Carole Baumgarten led the Bulldogs to victory in the program's first ever game beating the Iowa Hawkeyes, 78-65, on November 20, 1974.

Drake will return to action next Sunday, November 18 when the University of Illinois at Chicago visits the Knapp Center. Tip-off is set for 2:05 p.m. UIC defeated Drake, 61-48, in the opener of the 2011-12 season.