GAME 16: OMAHA (7-6) at SOUTH DAKOTA (9-6)
When	Thursday, Dec. 29, 7 p.m. CT
Where	Sanford Coyote Sports Center (6,000) | Vermillion, S.D.
TV	MidcoSN (Jay Elsen, Brad Newitt, Kelly Stewart)
Watch Online	FREE USD webcast | ESPN3
Radio	Coyote Sports Network (Joe Van Goor)
Live Stats	Live Stats
USD Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
UNO Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Social Media	Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Promotions
-Fans can get $5 tickets in the student section while the USD students are on break.
-All Vermillion Elementary and Middle School students and their families get discounted tickets. Just order your tickets online with a code provided via email and you can get reduced priced tickets.

The Game
Summit League play officially began last night when North Dakota State beat South Dakota State in Brookings and Denver beat Oral Roberts at home. Tonight, it is former NCC rivals South Dakota and Omaha along with Western Illinois at Fort Wayne (7 p.m.). The Coyotes are 1-4 in Summit League openers, but undefeated (6-0) inside Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Something has to give.
 
The Mavs
Omaha enters with the Summit League's highest RPI ranking following non-conference play at 83. Looking inside those numbers, the Mavericks went 6-0 against teams ranked 171 and above and 0-6 against teams ranked 170 and below. The most notable win was a 98-89 road victory at Iowa in early December.
 
The Mavericks are led by senior all-Summit guard Tra-Deon Hollins and preseason all-Summit pick Tre'Shawn Thurman, a junior forward. Hollins is one of the nation's leaders in both assists (6.6 apg) and steals (3.1 spg). He also averages 11 points per game. Thurman averages a team-high 14 points and is the Summit's second-leading rebounder at eight per game. Two other Omaha players, senior guard Marcus Tyus (13.2) and sophomore guard Zach Jackson (12.8) also boast double-digit scoring averages.
 
The Yotes
Outside of lone senior Tyler Flack, the seven other players who have earned the most minutes this year are new to the USD-UNO rivalry and new to Summit League play. South Dakota started the year with five straight wins and stands 9-6 overall following the team's longest road trip of the season spanning three games. Tonight is the first of 69 days the Coyotes will set out to prove they are better than their preseason No. 7 pick in the Summit.
 
Sophomore guard Matt Mooney is the Summit's eighth-leading scorer at 14.6 points per game. He scored a season-high 28 points two games ago in a win at Montana State and averaged a team-best 18 points during the road trip. Flack is averaging 13 points per game and is the Summit's fourth-leading rebounder at nearly eight a contest. Junior guards Trey Dickerson (10.1 ppg) and Carlton Hurst (7.7) along with sophomore forward Trey Burch-Manning (9.7) round out USD's starting five.
 
Quick Hits
South Dakota leads the Summit in offensive rebounds (12.5 orpg) and fewest turnovers per game (11.9 tpg) … Omaha averages 82 points per game, second-highest in the Summit. The Mavs allow 84 points per game, highest in the Summit … This is the 101^st matchup between the two programs. USD has won 53 of the previous 100 games … Omaha swept the season series last year and is 3-1 in Vermillion since joining the Summit League.