South Dakota begins the second half of league play on Saturday with tip-off at Purdue Fort Wayne slated for 11 a.m. (CT) inside Hilliard Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Game
South Dakota begins the second half of Summit League play this Saturday. With a road-heavy start to the season, this is the sixth of eight road trips in league action. Five of the final seven games are inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

The Coyotes
South Dakota (19-3, 7-1 Summit) boasts the Summit's top defense in an offensive-minded league. Five teams average more than 71 points per game, and five are in the nation's top-40 for 3-pointers made. After two high-scoring affairs early in league play, the Yotes have gotten after it on defense. South Dakota has held three-straight foes to 50 or fewer points. During that span, opponents have shot at a 29 percent clip and committed 20 turnovers per game. South Dakota's balanced attack has been on display on offense, with four or more players in double-figures for the last three games. Named one of five "sleepers" to watch by the NCAA, the Coyotes have been receiving votes to the Associated Press poll for nine-straight weeks.

The Mastodons
Purdue Fort Wayne (6-15, 2-7 Summit) has won two of its last three Summit League games, including a 70-55 win over Denver last Saturday. The Mastodon defense held Denver to 2-of-15 from downtown and 26 percent from the field. Compared to USD's loss at Denver, where the Pioneers shot 63 percent. Only De'Jour Young averages double figures for Purdue Fort Wayne with 12.7 points per game. Young leads the team in scoring for the third-straight season. This year, four players average between seven and 10 points per game for the Mastodons.

The Series
South Dakota leads the series with Purdue Fort Wayne 14-3, having won 12 in a row. The Coyotes captured the first meeting this season by a score of 69-51. South Dakota used a second quarter rally of 16-4 to jump out to a lead.

One Last Thing
South Dakota's ranked in the NCAA's top-five for free-throw percentage for three-straight seasons, leading the nation in 2016-17. The Coyotes are fourth this year at 78.3 percent. After last Thursday's 26 free throws, USD moved to third in the nation for free-throws made behind Notre Dame and Mississippi State.