GAME 20:  WESTERN ILLINOIS (7-9, 0-5 Summit) at SOUTH DAKOTA (9-10, 1-4 Summit)
When	Wednesday, Jan. 20, 7 p.m.
Where	DakotaDome (10,000) | Vermillion, S.D.
Tickets	Tickets
Television	None
Watch Online	FREE webcast
Radio	Coyote Sports Network (Joe Van Goor)
Live Stats	USD Live Stats
South Dakota Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Western Ill. Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Social Media	Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Game
South Dakota takes the court for the first time in a week when the Coyotes host the Western Illinois Leathernecks at 7 p.m. tonight inside the DakotaDome. Something will give tonight for two teams trying to make a quick U-turn. Western Illinois has lost seven in a row and South Dakota has lost its last three. The Leathernecks have lost six in a row on the road and the Coyotes have lost three in a row at home.

Tonight begins a stretch of seven home games in their next 10 for the Coyotes, who have played just five times at home this season. South Dakota hosts South Dakota State at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The Series
South Dakota swept Western Illinois a season ago and has won the last three against the Leathernecks. Western Illinois had won the prior six meetings and leads the all-time series 6-5. All but two of those games have come as Summit League foes starting with the 2011-12 season. The Coyotes swept a home-and-home series from 1969-71.

The Leathernecks
It was a November to remember for a Western Illinois team that knocked off the defending national runner-up Badgers in Wisconsin en route to a 5-0 start. Since then, the Leathernecks are 2-9 including an 0-5 start in Summit League play. The team has lost all seven games since Dec. 12. Junior guard Garret Covington leads the team with 17 points per game and is a preseason first-team all-Summit League pick. Senior guard J.C. Fuller adds 14 points a contest.

The Coyotes
The off weekend came at a great time for South Dakota. The Coyotes' three-game skid prior to the break including a 20-point loss, the loss of a 21-point lead, and a comeback of 16 points down that fell one bucket short. Junior guard Shy McClelland has averaged 15 points since the start of Summit League play. Senior Tre Burnette continues to lead the Coyotes with 14 points and six rebounds per game. The Coyotes continue to lead the Summit League in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.

One Final Note
South Dakota senior guard Casey Kasperbauer is the nation's second-leading free-throw shooter at 95.2 percent. He has made 28 consecutive free throws dating back to late November. Kasperbauer is the best free-throw shooter in program history at 90 percent. He ranks 40th on South Dakota's all-time scoring list with 1,031 points.