FARGO, N.D. – Junior transfer Kaleb Stewart dropped a career-high 33 points to lead South Dakota (8-6, 1-0 Summit) to the conference opener victory over North Dakota State.
 
Stewart, who made his return to the starting lineup just two games ago due to an injury earlier this season, was an offensive force for the Coyotes, knocking down four of his six three-point attempts and going 13-of-22 from the field. He had 12 points in just over seven minutes of action in the first half due to foul trouble, tallying the next 21 points in the second half.
 
Lahat Thioune also had a career-night for the Yotes on the glass, grabbing 19 rebounds and adding 13 points to record his second-straight double-double and sixth of the season.
 
North Dakota State (7-7, 0-1 Summit) was handed its third-straight loss and first home loss of the season by the Coyotes. Three Bison scored in double-figures led by 19 points from big-man Andrew Morgan. Morgan went 9-of-12 from the floor and hit one triple in just under 17 minutes of action due to foul trouble.
 
The Bison started out hot, knocking down four of their first five shots to take an early 12-3 lead. South Dakota flipped the switch at the first media break, bouncing back from a 10-point deficit to take its first lead of the game at 27-26 with eight minutes to go in the half. Thioune drew contact in the paint and hit a free throw that spurred a 7-0 run for the Yotes as NDSU went nearly four minutes without a made basket.
 
It was a game of runs as either side traded spurts of consecutive scoring bursts or scoreless draughts. South Dakota opened the second half without a bucket in nearly four minutes of action, giving NDSU the chance to tie the game back up at 46-46. On the way to his career-high night, Stewart put together an 8-0 run for the Yotes to take back the lead. Damari Wheeler-Thomas fouled Paul Bruns and Bruns' free-throws extended it to a three-possession lead for the Yotes with 2:20 to play in regulation. Boden Skunberg had two attempts in the paint in the final two minutes but couldn't find the bottom of the net. The Bison had to foul to try and extend the game, but the Bruns brothers went 4-of-4 from the free throw line to seal the deal for South Dakota.
 
The Coyotes attacked the paint all night long and scored 40 points on the inside. South Dakota outrebounded the Bison 45-29 and scored 14 second chance points.
 
South Dakota shot 53.3 percent from the field and 75 percent from three-point range in the first half. After shooting just 50 percent from the free throw line in the first half, the Yotes improved to 81.8 percent from the line in the second half which came in clutch in the final possessions of the game.
 
The Coyotes continue Summit League play at home as they return to Vermillion to host Omaha on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center and the game will be available on CBS Sports Network.