The GameSouth Dakota begins arguably its most grueling stretch of the season as the team begins a road trip that includes games at Milwaukee, at Illinois, at UNLV, and vs. Florida Gulf Coast in Sioux Falls. The start of Summit League play follows. USD opens by hosting IUPUI on New Year's Day.
Tonight's game is against a Milwaukee team the Coyotes beat 84-60 a year ago in Vermillion. But this year's Panther squad has added point guard Jordan Johnson and returns forward Austin Arians from an injury that kept him out all of last season. Milwaukee is 8-3 with wins against Denver and Wisconsin and enters with an RPI rating of 77. The Panthers shoot 24 three's a game and make nine on average. They are terrific free-throw shooters and average 16 points per game from the stripe.
The SeriesSouth Dakota is making its first trip to Milwaukee's campus since the 1972-73 season (43 years) when the team's were playing the second game of a home-and-home series that had begun a year before in Vermillion. The team's didn't meet again until last season inside the DakotaDome. The Panthers, by way of its sweep in the early 70s, leads the series 2-1.
The Summit League ranks 10thThe Summit League remains in 10th place out of 32 conferences in the latest RPI rankings released this week. That's the best mark ever for the league. The Summit's highest-ever finish in the rankings is 16 in 2012.
Milwaukee is a member of the Horizon League, which currently ranks 15th. The Coyotes faced Wright State of the Horizon in the season opener in DeKalb, Ill., where Wright State prevailed 77-69.
Last time outSouth Dakota had a five-game winning streak snapped in a 77-67 loss at home to CSU Bakersfield on Saturday. Neither team managed a lead greater than five points until the closing minutes. USD was out-rebounded 36-20 and out-scored at the free-throw line 23-12.
Eric Robertson scored a career-high 17 points on 6 of 13 shooting to lead the Yotes.
Tre Burnette added 14 points and
Dan Jech had 12.
Last year's meeting (USD won 84-60 in Vermillion on Dec. 28, 2014)Casey Kasperbauer made seven three-pointers and scored a game-high 23 points in leading the Coyotes to an 84-60 win against Milwaukee inside the DakotaDome. It was the second time he had made seven triples that season. He was 6 of 6 from downtown in the second half. When the barrage ended, South Dakota had extended a 33-23 halftime lead to 71-49 with five minutes to go.
Coyote big man
James Hunter added 13 second-half points, included two one-hand jams, and finished with a career-best 15. He also had five rebounds in 16 minutes of work.
Matt Tiby had 15 points and 14 rebounds to lead Milwaukee, an NCAA Tournament team after winning the Horizon League Tournament the year prior. Akeem Springs had 11 points and five boards off the bench. Senior guard Steve McWhorter, the team's leading scorer and rebounder entering the contest, had seven points – all in the second half – and no rebounds.
One Last NoteThe Coyotes have held second-half leads of at least five points in all four losses this season. They've led at halftime in three of the four losses.
