The Game
The Sanford Coyote Sports Center gets introduced to the USD-SDSU men's basketball rivalry for the first time Saturday, and if early ticket sales are any indication, a record crowd will be on hand to bear witness. It is the 219th meeting between the two programs separated by less than 120 miles. South Dakota State has won eight of the last nine of the series including a 73-72 win in Brookings back on the final day of 2016. The Jacks lead the all-time series 125-93.
South Dakota is 11-1 in its new facility this season. It is the best home record by the program since the team went 13-2 inside the DakotaDome during the 2010-11 campaign. The Coyotes have averaged 77 points at home while shooting 44 percent from the field. Opponents are shooting 40 percent from the field and averaging 64 points.
The Coyotes
South Dakota is coming off back-to-back, double-digit wins on the road in Summit play (at North Dakota State and Fort Wayne). The Coyotes are the first Summit League team to accomplish that feat in two years and it has them within a half game of first place with four to go. The Coyotes have also clinched their fifth consecutive berth into the Summit League Tournament, which runs March 4-7 in Sioux Falls.
Sophomore guard
Matt Mooney (21.4 ppg) and senior center
Tyler Flack (20.4 ppg) are both averaging better than 20 points in Summit League play, although Flack's numbers account for just five games. In the two recent victories, Flack averaged 23 points on 71 percent shooting (20-28). He scored a career-high 29 points Wednesday on 13 of 15 shooting from the field (he even missed his first shot). Mooney averaged 23.5 points in the two wins, was 14 of 17 from the line and had six assists. Flack missed the first game against SDSU due to injury.
In addition to Flack and Mooney, starters
Trey Dickerson,
Trey Burch-Manning and
Carlton Hurst each average around 10 points per game. Burch-Manning had 15 points and eight rebounds against the Jacks back on Dec. 31.
The Jackrabbits
South Dakota State had won four of five before falling in Fargo 82-65 on Wednesday. The Jacks are tied with Western Illinois for seventh place in the Summit League standings. Both teams are two games ahead of last-place Oral Roberts, which would be the only team not to advance to the Summit League Tournament should the season end today.
South Dakota State continues to be led by sophomore Mike Daum, the preseason Summit League Player of the Year. Daum is the nation's second-leading scorer at nearly 24 points per game. He had 30 against the Coyotes in Brookings, including the game-winning field goal with 2.8 seconds remaining.
The Jacks have been without their second-leading scorer, A.J. Hess, for four games. Reed Tellinghuisen averages 11 points and 4.5 rebounds. No other Jack averages more than seven points per game. Only four teams nationally have attempted more 3-pointers than South Dakota State (699). The Jacks also rank 14th nationally in free-throw percentage at 76.9 percent.
One Last Thing
South Dakota can equal its highest win total in Summit League play with a victory Saturday. The Coyotes were 9-7 during the 2014-15 season.
