VERMILLION, S.D. -- The South Dakota men's basketball team will travel to face in-state rival South Dakota State on Sunday at 2 p.m. inside Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota.
About the South Dakota Showdown Series
The yearlong Showdown Series, an athletic and academic competition between in-state rivals USD and SDSU, takes center stage this weekend with a pair of contests at Frost Arena in Brookings.
The contest tracks head-to-head match-ups and conference championship results between South Dakota State and South Dakota in 17 sports, with each school accumulating points toward the overall series championship. The Coyotes currently lead 7.5 - 1.5, in the 2019-20 series with four points on the line this weekend between the basketball games and the Summit League Swim and Dive Championships, presented by U.S Special Warfare.
The Series also recognizes outstanding academic achievement by the schools' student-athletes and aims to raise awareness, funds and donations for Feeding South Dakota, a statewide not-for-profit with the goal of eliminating hunger in South Dakota. More information can be found at SDCornShowdown.com.
As part of the SD Corn Showdown Series, Feeding South Dakota and both teams have come together for orange, the color that represents awareness for hunger. At the conclusion of last year's Showdown Series, Feeding South Dakota was able to provide 280,000 meals for adults and children throughout the state because of a generous $70,000 donation from South Dakota Corn.
With the "Get off the Bench" campaign, fans are encouraged to donate in support of hunger awareness and the fight to end hunger. Fans attending the games can donate by swiping their credit/debit cards at "dip jars" located at the concessions stands, or through cash donations at collection sites near arena entrances. Donations also can be made online at feedingsouthdakota.org/showdown.
The Jackrabbits (21-8, 12-2 SL)
South Dakota State sits atop the conference standings with two games left in the regular season. The Jacks have a 21-8 record overall and a 12-2 record in the loop.
The Jacks are currently riding a seven-game win streak with their last loss coming to South Dakota on Jan. 19. During the win streak, SDSU has been outscoring its opponents by an average margin of 11.6 points a game while shooting 53.4 percent from the field. The Jacks have also dominated the glass with 37.4 boards a game.
South Dakota State is led by junior college transfer Douglas Wilson, who was named the junior college player of the year in 2018-19, with 18.5 points per game while Matt Dentlinger is second on the team with 12.2 points per game.
True freshman Noah Freidel has been averaging 10.5 points per game on 43 percent shooting from the field. As a team, the Jacks average 78.1 points per game on 49 percent shooting from the field.
The Coyotes (19-10, 9-5 SL)
South Dakota enters winners of its last 8-of-10 games. The Yotes eight-game win streak was snapped at the hands of Oral Roberts this past week. USD sits in third place in the conference standings three games back from North Dakota State and South Dakota State.
Tyler Hagedorn leads the team with 18.5 points per game which ranks tied for first in the Summit along with SDSU's Wilson.
Stanley Umude is averaging 16.9 points per game which ranks eighth in the League. The junior scored a season-high 28 points against Western Illinois and then followed that up with a 26-point effort against Oral Roberts.
Cody Kelley (10.9),
Triston Simpson (11.8) and
Tyler Peterson (11.2) round out the starting five that all average in double figures. USD is the only conference team that has five starters all average 10 points or more.
As a team, the Yotes average 80.0 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.24 percent from beyond the arc.
The Series
South Dakota leads the overall series 128-96. The Jacks also have a 79-23 record against the Yotes with games played in Brookings. It is the 225th matchup all-time between the two teams. South Dakota defeated South Dakota State 99-84 earlier this season at home.
One Last Thing
The Coyotes' 99 points scored against the Jacks earlier this season is the third-highest tally by a team in this series, which dates back to 1914 and includes 224 games.
