VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota basketball looks to defend its home floor Saturday when it welcomes Western Illinois to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center for an 11:00 a.m. tipoff.
 
 
Quick Hitters

• The Coyotes play in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center for the last time in 2024 Saturday morning against Western Illinois at 11:00 a.m.
• South Dakota heads West for a pair of games to round out the nonconference season next week at Utah Tech and Santa Clara.
• The Yotes return to the SCSC after the New Year on Saturday, January 4 when they host Denver.
• The Coyotes have spread the ball around offensively with six players averaging 9.0 or more points per game.
• Chase Forte is first on team in scoring at 14.7 points per game and leads the Yotes in assists (3.5), steals (2.1) and minutes (25.8).
• Isaac Bruns has scored in double figures in 10 of the first 12 games to start the season and is averaging 13.4 points off the bench.
• Bruns and Bullock lead a South Dakota bench unit that ranks No. 10 in the NCAA in bench points at 38.7 points per game.
• Bullock is fourth on the team at 10.0 points per game and second with 1.5 steals per contest.
• Kaleb Stewart is the other Coyote averaging double-digit scoring at 10.8 points per game and has six games with 10+ points and has hit the 20-point mark twice.
• Chase Forte has elevated his play of late, especially over the last six games.
• Forte has averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 steals and has shot .522 percent from the field.
• Over the last three games, Forte has two games with 20+ points, including a career-high matching 25 in a win over Wyoming, five rebounds in each game, 17 assists and 10 steals.
• South Dakota features one of the highest scoring offenses in the NCAA, as its 86.8 points per game ranks No. 13 in the NCAA.
• The Yotes are forcing 14.4 turnovers per game, while only committing 10.7 themselves, for a +3.8 turnover margin which ranks No. 43 in the NCAA.
• USD turned to defense to offense as they score on average 18.6 points per game off turnovers, while limiting opponents to 11.5 points off its own turnovers.
   

Where to Watch

• Saturday's game against Western Illinois can be found on the Summit League Network.
   
• Series History vs. Western Illinois
• USD leads the all-time series 20-10 and won the most recent meeting 70-68 last year in Macomb, Illinois.

 
On the Rise

• Chase Forte has elevated his play of late, especially over the last six games.
• Forte has averaged 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 steals and has shot .522 percent from the field.
• Over the last three games, Forte has two games with 20+ points, including a career-high matching 25 in a win over Wyoming, five rebounds in each game, 17 assists and 10 steals.
• Forte has had a knack for getting to the free throw line this season and ranks No. 8 in the NCAA and No. 1 among Summit League players with 80 free throws on the season.

 
Everyone Eats

• Behind a balanced attack, the Coyotes boast the No. 13 ranked scoring offense in the NCAA at 86.8 points per game.
• Four Yotes averaged double-digit point totals and six score over 9.2 points per game.
• Chase Forte leads the Yotes in scoring at 14.7 points per game and in assists per game at 3.5.
• Isaac Bruns has scored in double figures in 10 of the first 12 games to start the season and is averaging 13.4 points per game which is second on the team.
• Kaleb Stewart is averaging double-digit scoring at 10.8 points per game and has six games with 10+ points and has hit the 20-point mark twice.
• Dre Bullock (10.0), Paul Bruns (9.9) and Cameron Fens (9.3) are 3-6 in scoring for the Yotes.

A Little Bit of Everything

• Chase Forte was all over the floor in the Coyotes 94-80 win over Idaho State last Wednesday as he poured in 21 points, six assists, five rebounds, five steals and one block.
• Forte has scored in double-figures in six straight games, averaging 18.0 points per game over that stretch while shooting 52.2% from the field.
• He has four games this season with 20+ points
• Forte has a tallied a steal in every game this season and has had multiple in six.
• He's dished out 4+ assists in six games and grabbed 5+ boards five times.

 
Bench Mob

• The Coyotes bolster the No. 10 ranked bench unit in the NCAA at 38.7 points per game.
• Isaac Bruns has provided instant offense for Eric Peterson's squad, as he's averaging a team-high 13.4 points per game in 20.5 minutes off the bench. 
• Bruns has scored in double-digits in 10 of 12 games.
• Dre Bullock has reached double-figures in six of 11 games he's played in and has had multiple steals in seven contests.
• Shey Eberwein set a career-high of 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench in USD's win over Mount Marty.
• It also marked the first game of his career where Eberwein led the Yotes in scoring
  
  Feed the Big Fella
• Cameron Fens has made his presence known in the middle of the Coyote lineup and tallied his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Western Michigan.
• It was Fen's second of four double-digit scoring performance of the season (14 pts vs Texas A&M-Commerce & 12 points at Southern Indiana).
• Fens has flexed his muscles on the other end of the floor, tallying two or more blocks in five games this season.
• The seven-footer rejected a season-high three blocks in the Yotes win over Mount Marty (11/10/24)
• Fens is active on the offensive glass, as he corrals 2.4 offensive boards per game.

 
Defensive Pressure

• Behind a rotation of players and a full court press, the Coyotes have forced on average 14.4 turnovers per game, which ranks No. 2 among Summit League teams.
• The Yotes turn defense to offense as they average 18.6 points per game off opponent's turnovers.
• Chase Forte and Dre Bullock rank No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in the Summit Leauge in steals with 25 and 17.
• Forte ranks No. 15 among all players in the NCAA in steals with 25.
• South Dakota has held seven opponents to a negative assist-to-turnover ratio.
• USD forced a season-high 24 turnovers in the win over Mount Marty.
• The Yotes have held a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in seven games this season. USD had a season high 24 assists in its win over Randall.