VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota senior guard Casey Kasperbauer scored a game-high 26 points including 15 during a 29-5 run that turned the tide in the Coyotes' 76-67 win against Western Illinois Wednesday inside the DakotaDome.
 
The win stopped a three-game skid for South Dakota (10-10, 2-4 Summit). Western Illinois (7-10, 0-6) has lost eight in a row. The Coyotes have won the last four meetings in the series.
 
Kasperbauer's 26 tied the second-best performance of his career. He made 6 of 7 shots in a nine-minute span in the second half that helped South Dakota turn a 47-37 deficit into a 66-52 lead with 8:39 left to play. Four of his makes were 3's. Most were closely contested.
 
Kasperbauer had 17 in the second half to help USD rebound from a 37-32 halftime deficit. He finished 9 of 16 from the field including a 6 of 8 effort from beyond the arc. It's the sixth time in his career he has made at least six 3-pointers.
 
South Dakota guard Tre Burnette registered his fourth double-double this season and ninth in 53 games as a Coyote. Burnette had 14 points and 13 rebounds. D.J. Davis added 13 points, five rebounds and three steals.
 
J.C. Fuller scored 10 of his team-best 16 points in the second half for Western Illinois. Garret Covington, a preseason first-team all-Summit League pick, had 13 points in the first half, but was held scoreless with two shot attempts in the second half. Tate Stensgaard finished with 10 points and six boards.
 
Western Illinois climbed back within six points at 68-62 on a 3-pointer by Fuller with 6:27 remaining. It capped an 8-0, but it was as close as the Leathernecks would get. Western Illinois scored five points the rest of the way.
 
South Dakota, playing its first game in a week, went six minutes without a field goal to start the game and trailed 10-2 early on. The Coyotes tied the game at 20-20 on a layup by Austin Sparks and took their first lead on an alley-oop lob to Tyler Flack that made it 25-24 with 3:28 left in the half. Covington scored seven points in the final 100 seconds to put Western Illinois back in front.
 
Flack and Sparks combined for 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks off the Coyote bench. Both got extended minutes with starter Eric Robertson in early foul trouble. Trey Norris had six assists in 32 minutes off the bench.
 
Wednesday marked the first of seven home games the Coyotes will play in their next 10 contests. South Dakota next hosts South Dakota State at 4 p.m. Saturday.