The Game
South Dakota returns home for the first time in two weeks to host Mount Marty University Monday night inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Vermillion.
 
The game will be live streamed on GoYotes.com. That broadcast can be found on Midco+ as well. Fans can tune into the game on the Coyote Sports Network with John Thayer on KVHT 106.3 FM in Yankton/Vermillion or by using The Varsity Network app.
 
The Series
Monday's game will be the 12th all-time meeting between the two programs. South Dakota has claimed all 11 previous meetings including a 10-0 mark at home. The series dates back to the 1963-64 season and most recently in the 2020-21 season.
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota wrapped up a week-long road trip against Coastal Carolina on Saturday. After trailing by 10 at the break, USD used a second-half surge to jump back into the game and take the lead with five minutes to go. Coastal Carolina was able to outlast South Dakota with a late run to take the first meeting between the two teams this season. The second-half run was fueled by Kruz Perrott-Hunt. Perrott-Hunt scored all 17 of his points in the second stanza on 6-of-9 shooting including a 4-of-5 mark from the three after the break. Mihai Carcoana contributed a career-high 13 points off the bench and tied his career-high with a team-high seven rebounds. Paul Bruns got his first start in a Coyote uniform in that game and was the third USD player in double-figures. Bruns scored 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting Saturday.
 
The Coyotes finished the Thanksgiving week at 1-2 with their lone win coming in the opening round of the Fort Myers Tip-Off last Tuesday. South Dakota was then bested by Sam Houston in the Palms Division championship game before falling short at Coastal Carolina. USD looks to continue its perfect record at home on Monday.
 
The Lancers
Collin Authier is in his second season at the helm of the Lancers after 14 years of coaching experience prior to joining MMU. Authier previously has been an assistant at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and most recently Augustana. Authier and the Lancers will make the short, 30-minute drive to Vermillion on Monday for their exhibition contest.
 
Mount Marty is off to a 4-6 start this season and began its conference season at 1-3. MMU lost to Dakota State 66-98 just days before South Dakota hosted Dakota State. The Lancers opened the year with a 26-point defeat of Graceland University. In that game, MMU hit 21-of-36 from three - a 58.3 percent mark. Kade Stearns led that effort with seven three-pointers and 21 points.
 
Offensively, the Lancers are led by Tash Lunday who averages 20.6 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. Cole Bowen is the second MMU player averaging double-figures with 11.4 points per game. Bowen leads the team in assists at 4.4 assists per game.
 
One Last Thing
Senior Damani Hayes ranks seventh in the Summit League in rebounding (7.3 rpg) after adding five more to his total on Saturday. He leads the conference in offensive rebounds with 22 total and 3.1 offensive rebounds per game. Hayes also ranks eighth in the league with 51 total rebounds this season.