The Game
The Coyotes return to Vermillion to host North Dakota on Feb. 1 inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
 
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on the Summit League Network available via the Midco Sports Plus app. Fans can also tune into the game on the Coyote Sports Network with John Thayer on KVHT 106.3 FM in Yankton/Vermillion, KQSF 95.7 in Sioux Falls, or by using the Varsity Network app.
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota (9-13, 2-5 Summit) is coming off a tough road trip that included a double overtime loss to Denver and a loss to Kansas City.
 
Junior transfer Kaleb Stewart, the Coyotes' leading scorer (15.6 ppg), scored a career-high 44 points in the double OT loss at Denver. He went 16-of-31 from the field and made eight of his 13 three-point attempts in a career-high 43 minutes of action. It's the most points scored in a game by a Coyote since 1967 and the fourth-most points scored in a game in program history.
 
Lahat Thioune is the 14^th-leading rebounder in the NCAA and his nine double-doubles rank 20^th nationally. Thioune scored 20 points and was one rebound shy of recording his 10^th double-double against Kansas City on Jan. 27. It was his fourth 20-point game of the season and his nine double-doubles lead the league as he has three more than any other Summit player.
 
The Fighting Hawks    
North Dakota (12-10, 4-3 Summit) is riding a four-game win streak, including two road wins and two home wins. The Fighting Hawks defeated Kansas City 82-69 in Kansas City on Jan. 13 to kick off the hot streak and most recently defeated St. Thomas 74-64 in St. Paul on Jan. 27.
 
B.J. Omot is North Dakota's leading scorer (17.2 ppg) and has averaged 24 points on 53 percent shooting in the four-game winning stretch. Tyree Ihenacho was the 2020-21 Summit League Freshman of the Year at North Dakota. He played the next two seasons for James Madison in Virginia before returning to North Dakota for year four. An injunction allowed Ihenacho to return to the court in December and he has played in all 11 games since and posted four 20-plus point efforts. He leads the Fighting Hawks in assists per game (3.7) and is second on the team in scoring (14.6 ppg).
 

The Series
Thursday's matchup marks the 200^th meeting between South Dakota and North Dakota. The Coyotes and Fighting Hawks split the regular season last year, each winning on the road.
 
Up Next
South Dakota travels to Brookings to face in-state rival South Dakota State for the second time this season as a part of the Interstate Series presented by First Interstate Bank. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. in Frost Arena with the game available to watch on CBS Sports Network.