The Game
The Coyotes return home to host Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center following the FCS playoff quarterfinal between South Dakota and North Dakota State. Anyone with a ticket to Saturday's 1:30 p.m. football game in the DakotaDome can show their ticket at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center ticket office and receive a $5 ticket to the basketball game.
 
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. The game will be streamed on the Summit League Network available via the Midco Sports app. Fans can also 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 Coyotes
South Dakota (6-3) returns to Vermillion after a thrilling buzzer-beating victory over former Summit foe Western Illinois. Bostyn Holt drove in the game-winning layup just before time expired to boost South Dakota to a 70-68 win over the Leathernecks in Macomb.
 
Holt has strung together three-straight double-digit scoring performances including 14 points in the win over Western Illinois. The junior transfer is shooting 54.8 percent from the field this season and averaging 11.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
 
Paul Bruns has four-straight double-figure scoring games and scored a season-high 19 points in the Yotes' win over Western Illinois. The junior is scoring 16.8 points per game over the last four games after averaging just 7.2 points per game in the first five games this season.
 
As a squad, the Coyotes are grabbing a league-leading 46.0 rebounds per game (5^th in the NCAA) behind Lahat Thioune's 9.4 rebounds per game. The senior transfer has three double-doubles and two 20+ point performances in eight starts for the Yotes. He had a career-high 24 points in South Dakota's 100-79 win over UTRGV in the Sanford Pentagon and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in the Coyotes' win over VMI.
 
The Roadrunners
CSU Bakersfield (4-4) is looking for its first road win of the season. The Roadrunners are 0-3 on the road so far this season but remained undefeated at home. CSU Bakersfield will host South Dakota as apart of the same-season home-and-home on Dec. 19.
 
Of the 'Runners four losses on the season, two have been to top-25 programs in No. 21 USC and No. 11 Gonzaga. Senior guard Kaleb Higgins led CSUB in both matchups with 19 points against USC and 21 points against Gonzaga. Higgins has started and played at least 25 minutes in all eight games this season and has scored double-digits in all but one. He's averaging 17.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game and shooting 43.7 percent from the field.
 
Modestas Kancleris is a redshirt junior transfer from Creighton. Kancleris spent two seasons with the Bluejays before transferring to CSUB last season. He played in 18 games and made four starts for the 'Runners before he broke his hand in practice. This season, Kancleris leads CSUB on the boards with 6.0 rebounds per game. He's made six starts in eight appearances and averaged 6.6 points per game on 59 percent shooting from the field.
 
The Series
Saturday's matchup marks the fourth meeting between South Dakota and Cal State Bakersfield and the third-straight time the Roadrunners have made the trek to Vermillion. In the most recent meeting, the Coyotes defeated the Roadrunners 68-56 in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. The first meeting dates back to the 2014-15 season when South Dakota traveled to Bakersfield. The Yotes narrowly defeated the Roadrunners 68-66. CSUB picked up its first win of the series in the 2015-16 season as they defeated the Coyotes 77-67 in Vermillion.
 
One Last Thing
Saturday's matchup kicks off the California portion of South Dakota's schedule. The Coyotes host CSU Bakersfield in Vermillion before heading to the Sunshine State for three games over a six-day span. The Yotes face UC Irvine on Dec. 16 in Irvine, then head to Bakersfield to fulfill their end of the same-season home-and-home against CSUB, then wrap up against San Diego in San Diego on Dec. 21.