GoYotes.com – South Dakota junior guard Ciara Duffy was voted to the Academic All-America Division I Women’s Basketball first team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Duffy earns Academic All-America honors for the second consecutive season.

Duffy brings the program’s total Academic All-America honors to 10 since 1980-81. She’s the third player to garner the award twice, joining Deb Petersen (1981, 1982) and Mandy Koupal (2003, 2004).

A native of Rapid City, South Dakota, Duffy is a two-time all-Summit League first team guard. She’s one of the most versatile players on the court with her ability to play in the post, handle the point and shoot from the NBA 3-point line.

Duffy has led the Coyotes in scoring for nearly half of USD’s games this season with 23 double-figure scoring nights. She’s had eight games past 20 points. Duffy has totaled more than 1,200 points, 450 rebounds and 250 assists in her career. She ranks fifth for 3-pointers made in USD history with 182. Duffy is averaging 15 points, nearly five rebounds and three assists on the season to pace the Yotes.

In the classroom, Duffy boasts a perfect 4.00 grade-point average as a political science major. She plans to graduate in May, pursuing her master’s degree in history at USD this fall.

Senior guard Allison Arens joined Duffy on the CoSIDA Academic All-District VI team, a precedent to making the Academic All-America ballot. Duffy is the lone Summit League women’s player to garner the award.

Duffy and her teammates made history this season by climbing into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time. South Dakota ranked No. 25 in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll.

South Dakota boasts 47 Academic All-Americans in school history who have combined for 59 Academic All-America honors across all sports.