Vermillion, S.D. - Five Coyotes scored in double figures, including a career-high 22 points and 14 rebounds from freshman center
Trevor Gruis, to propel the
South Dakota men's basketball team past Tabor College in a 122-71 route on Monday night in the DakotaDome. The point total tied for the second highest in school history.
Gruis (Ellsworth, Minn.) connected on 8-of-10 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line to score his 22, while junior guard Charlie Westbrook (Milwaukee, Wis.) also added 22 points. Sophomore guard Jordan Boots (Vermillion, S.D.) notched a season-high 18 points, junior guard Louie Krogman (White River, S.D.) earned 17 and freshman guard Steve Tecker (Brule, Wis.) added a career-high 17 to round out USD's double-digit scorers.
USD (4-7) limited the Bluejays (8-4) to 37 percent (27-of-73) from the field on the night and 18 percent (4-of-22) from beyond the arc, while the Coyotes connected on 64 percent (47-of-73) and 47 percent (11-of-23). South Dakota outrebounded Tabor 51-31 and held a 24-13 advantage in assists.
USD held the Bluejays scoreless in the first minutes to gain an eight-point lead thanks to six points from Krogman. Westbrook sparked the team after a dunk assisted by senior guard Kendall Cutler (Brooklyn, N.Y.) five minutes into the game. The Coyotes were able to push the lead to 16 points before the midway point of the first half and the lead never fell below ten after that. Cutler continued to impress with a steal and perfect pass to Gruis for a dunk, while five treys in the final 10 minutes of the first period extended the lead to 29 at halftime with a score of 61-32.
The Coyotes shot 50 percent (7-of-14) from beyond the arc in the first half, three of them coming from Krogman. The Bluejays were held to 37 percent (12-of-32) from the field and had six turnovers. USD out-rebounded Tabor 24-15 in the first half.
USD started the second half strong, building a 40-point lead within the first six minutes. Through the middle minutes of the second half, USD outscored Tabor 35-17, with Gruis adding 10 points in the run. The Coyotes' biggest lead was 55 points, which they reached twice in the final four minutes of the game. All USD players who dressed for the game scored.
South Dakota continues its five game homestand against Eastern Washington on Monday at 7 p.m. in the DakotaDome. Fans can purchase tickets in advance at the USD Ticket Office or by calling (605) 677-5959.
