SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Behind a double-double from Sam Knecht, University of Sioux Falls rolled to an 87-59 win over Presentation College in their season opener on Friday night. Knecht registered team-highs with 16 points and 11 rebounds for her sixth career double-double and USF would open the season 1-0.

Presentation seemed to have an answer for every USF attempt to build a lead early in the game, and the Saints even tied the game at 11-11 after a Klariss Ayala 3-pointer. But that would be the last time the Saints would sniff the Cougars as Teagan Molden and Taylor Varsho hit 3-pointers of their own to spark a 19-4 USF run spanning four minutes.

Molden's triple was three of her first-half 11 points and the junior forward added two more in the second stanza to finish with 13, second only to Knecht. The Cougars lead would remain in the mid-teens for the remainder of the first half before Knecht and freshman Paige Mriden would combine for seven points in the final minute and lead USF to a 47-28 lead at the intermission.

The Cougars turned 13 Presentation first-half turnovers into 15 points, eight of which came on a fast break. The theme of turning Presentation mistakes into easy buckets would carry over to the second period.

Sioux Falls' lead reached 25 points less than three minutes into the second half with Knecht, Varsho, and Marie Malloy each finishing easy layups. Presentation would push back, but the eight-player Saint rotation would tire and the Cougar reserves cranked up the defense, leading to more offense.

Both Morgan Merritt and Brynn Flakus scored five points in the second period with nine of the Cougars' 40 second-half points coming on the break. The USF lead reached its pinnacle after Merritt hit a three preceded by Flakus' second-chance layup to push the Sioux Falls advantage to 32 points.

Knecht steadily increased her point total, going 4-for-6 from the field with a pair of free throws in the second half. As the second half waned, the Cougars maintained their healthy cushion over the Saints. Alison Klostergaard made her USF debut with a pair of layups after offensive rebound, carrying the Cougars to the 87-59 victory

Varsho led the Cougars' unselfish offense with five assists and nearly notched her second double-double after adding nine rebounds and 11 points, but the whole USF team played together, registering 22 assists on their 33 field goals.

Presentation did out-shoot the Cougars in terms of percentage as PC finished with a 40.4 percent mark from the field. The Saints were paced by Rachel Fuhrmann's 16 points and Sydney Larson added 14 with Ayala finishing at 10.

Sioux Falls returns to nonconference action tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 15, when they host Mount Marty at 7 p.m. in the Stewart Center.