The Games
After three games at home, South Dakota now hits the road for three games and starts the second half of the schedule. The trip begins at Western Illinois Thursday night in Macomb. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

The game will be streamed live on GoLeathernecks.com. 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
Thursday's game will be the rematch of the New Years Eve game and the 28th all-time meeting between the two. The last meeting before the New Year involved a career day from Kruz Perrott-Hunt. Perrott-Hunt scored a career-high 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting and 4-of-6 from three. Tasos Kamateros (15) and A.J. Plitzuweit (14) also scored in double-figures that game to lead South Dakota to 80 points. The Coyotes limited the Leathernecks to 63 points and held Trenton Massner to seven points that night. South Dakota has won seven straight over WIU and have not lost in Macomb since 2019.

The Coyotes
South Dakota snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over Omaha Saturday. It was the final game of a three-game home stand for the Coyotes. Four Coyotes scored in double-figures in the win led by Perrott-Hunt's 22 points. Plitzuweit (19), Kamateros (16), and Damani Hayes (10) all posted double-digits as well.

The Coyotes got back to what they do best on Saturday - shooting the three ball. USD shot 30 percent better from three on Saturday compared to Thursday's game. The improvement jumped South Dakota to third-best in the nation in three-point percentage. The Coyotes have made 185 of 459 attempts from deep this season, a 40.3 percent mark.

The Leathernecks
Since the loss to South Dakota on Dec. 31, Western Illinois has won four of its last six games and are currently on a three-game winning streak. The streak started with a win at Kansas City and a win versus St. Thomas in which the Leathernecks kept both teams under 60 points. The Leathernecks are coming off one of their best performances of the season in a 92-80 win over North Dakota Monday night. Trenton Massner had a record-setting night in which he scored 46 points on 16-of-21 shooting. He tied Marcus Tsohonis from Long Beach State for the most points scored in a Division I game this season. Massner was also 9-of-12 from three, tied for ninth-most in a Division I game this year, and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. Three other Leathernecks were in double-figures in that game including a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) from Quinlan Bennett.

The last time these two teams played, the Coyote defense, led by Mason Archambault, held Massner to seven points on 2-of-12 shooting. WIU shot 38.9 percent from the field and was held to 16.7 percent from three. It was the lowest three-point percentage allowed by USD's defense this season and the lowest amount of three-pointers made.

One Last Thing
1,000-point watch! Kruz Perrott-Hunt has 944 career points. He is 56 points away from 1,000 points in his South Dakota career