VERMILLION, S.D. — The Coyotes open Summit League play on the road at Kansas City Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. The Yotes return to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, where they are a perfect 8-0, on Saturday for a meeting with Denver at 7:00 p.m.


Quick Hitters

• During nonconference play, Chase Forte led the Yotes in scoring at 15.3 points per game.
• Forte has 11 games where he scored in double-figures and has hit the 20-point mark six times.
• Forte averaged 19.0 points per contest in six games in the month of December and scored 20+ in four of those contests.
• Everyone eats in this South Dakota offense with six players averaging 9.5 or more points per game and three averaging 10.0+ points per game.
• Chase Forte is first on the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game and leads the Yotes in assists (3.5), steals (1.8) and minutes (26.4).
• Isaac Bruns has scored in double figures in 13 of 15 games and is averaging 13.3 points off the bench.
• Bruns and Bullock lead a South Dakota bench unit that ranks No. 11 in the NCAA in bench points at 36.3 points per game.
• Bullock is tied for fourth on the team at 9.8 points per game and second with 1.7 steals per contest.
• Kaleb Stewart is the other Coyote averaging double-digit scoring at 12.1 points per game and has eight games with 10+ points and has hit the 20-point mark three times.
• Cameron Fens adds 9.5 ppg and grabs a team-leading 5.3 rebounds per game.
• South Dakota features one of the highest scoring offenses in the NCAA, as its 86.6 points per game ranks No. 14 in the NCAA.
• The Yotes are forcing 13.6 turnovers per game, while only committing 10.3 themselves, for a +3.3 turnover margin which ranks No. 41 in the NCAA.
• USD turned to defense to offense as they score on average 17.5 points per game off turnovers, while limiting opponents to 11.1 points off its own turnovers.
   

Where to Watch

• Thursday's game against Kansas City can be found on Midco Sports Plus and the Summit League Network.
   
• Series History vs. Kansas City
• The Roos hold a 10-8 lead all-time against the Coyotes.
• KC swept last year's season series, 2-0, over the Yotes.
• Kaleb Stewart averaged 19.5 points per game against the Roos last year.
• For the Roos, Jamar Brown averaged 27 points per game agains the Yotes.
• Both Stewart and Brown were named to the Preseason All-Summit Leauge First Team.

 
KS1

• Kaleb Stewart matched a season-high with 26 points in a USD loss to Utah Tech Thursday.
• Stewart was efficient on the night going 11-for-16 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep.
• Stewart also scored 26 points earlier this season on the road at Iowa.
• Stewart has reached 20+ points in three games this season and double-digit scoring eight times.
• Over his last two games, Stewart is averaging 21.5 points per game on a .643 shooting percentage with four triples.

On the Rise

• Chase Forte has elevated his play of late, especially over a six game stretch in November-December.
• Forte averaged 21.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.2 steals and has shot .489 percent from the field from Nov. 27 to Dec. 19.
• Over that stretch of play, Forte had five games with 20+ points, including a career-high matching 25 in a win over Wyoming.
• In five of those games, Forte tallied 5+ rebounds and 4+ assists.
• 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 104 free throws on the season.
• Forte earned his first Summit League weekly award as the Co-Peak Performer of the Week, as announced by the conference on Monday.
• Forte averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists last week in a pair of Coyote wins over Wyoming and Western Illinois.

 
Everyone Eats

• Behind a balanced attack, the Coyotes boast the No. 14 ranked scoring offense in the NCAA at 86.6 points per game.
• Three Yotes average double-digit point totals and six score over 9.5 points per game.
• Chase Forte leads the Yotes in scoring at 15.3 points per game and in assists per game at 3.5.
• Isaac Bruns has scored in double figures in 13 of 15 games to start the season and is averaging 13.3 points per game which is second on the team.
• Kaleb Stewart is averaging double-digit scoring at 12.1 points per game and has eight games with 10+ points and has hit the 20-point mark three times.
• Dre Bullock (9.8), Paul Bruns (9.7) and Cameron Fens (9.5) 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 as he poured in 21 points, six assists, five rebounds, five steals and one block.
• Forte has scored in double-figures in seven straight games, averaging 18.4 points per game over that stretch while shooting .518 percent from the field.
• He has five games this season with 20+ points
• Forte has a tallied a steal in all but one game this season, and has had multiple in six.
• He's dished out 4+ assists in eight games and grabbed 5+ boards six times.

 
Bench Mob

• The Coyotes bolster the No. 11 ranked bench unit in the NCAA at 36.3 points per game.
• Isaac Bruns has provided instant offense off the bench, as he's averaging 13.3 points per game in 20.1 minutes off the bench. 
• Dre Bullock has reached double-figures in six of 12 games he's played in and has had multiple steals in eight 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.
• Fens set a new career-high with 17 points in the Yotes win over Western Illinois on 12/14/24 on 5-of-8 shooting, 7-of-9 from the free throw line and grabbed six boards.
• Fens has flexed his muscles on the other end of the floor, tallying two or more blocks in six 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 2.5 offensive boards per game.

 
Defensive Pressure

• Behind a rotation of players and a full court press, the Coyotes have forced on average 13.6 turnovers per game, which ranks No. 2 among Summit League teams.
• The Yotes turn defense to offense as they average 17.5 points per game off opponents turnovers.
• Chase Forte and Dre Bullock rank No. 1 and No. 4, respectively, in the Summit Leauge in steals with 27 and 20.
• South Dakota has held eight 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 nine games this season. USD had a season high 24 assists in its win over Randall.

Rebounding by Committee

• It has been a group effort on the boards to begin the season, with four Yotes averaging 4.1+ rebounds per game.
• Cameron Fens is the top rebounder for the Yotes at 5.3 boards per game (2.5 offensive). Fens notched his first career double-double against WMU (11/20/24) with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
• Isaac Bruns is second on the team at 4.5 rebounds per game and is followed by Paul Bruns who grabs 4.3 and Ashton Smith's 4.1

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