VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota returns to action Saturday in St. Paul when they face St. Thomas for the Yotes third Summit League game. USD is 1-1 in conference play after earning a 91-84 win over Denver last Saturday in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

Quick Hitters

• Everyone eats in this South Dakota offense with six players averaging 9.3 or more points per game and three averaging 10.0+ points per game.
• Chase Forte is first on the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game and leads the Yotes in assists (3.4), steals (1.7) and minutes (26.5).
• Isaac Bruns has scored in double figures in 14 of 17 games and is averaging 13.3 points per game. Bruns made his first career start as a Coyote against the Pioneers and poured in 22 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
• Kaleb Stewart is the other Coyote averaging double-digit scoring at 11.6 points per game and has eight games with 10+ points and has hit the 20-point mark three times.
• Paul Bruns adds 9.4 points per game and 4.3 rebounds and is second on the team with 28 made 3-pointers.
• Bullock is tied for fifth on the team at 9.3 points per game and second with 1.5 steals per contest.
• Cameron Fens adds 9.3 ppg and grabs a team-leading 5.2 rebounds per game.
• South Dakota features one of the highest scoring offenses in the NCAA, as its 84.9 points per game ranks No. 16 in the NCAA.
• The Yotes are forcing 13.7 turnovers per game, while only committing 10.3 themselves, for a +3.4 turnover margin which ranks No. 34 in the NCAA.
• USD turn to defense to offense as they score on average 17.2 points per game off turnovers, while limiting opponents to 11.5 points off its own turnovers.
   

How to Follow

• Saturday's game at St. Thomas can be found on Midco Sports Plus and the Summit League Network.
• The radio call by John Thayer can be found on the Coyote Sports Network, KVHT 106.3, or on the Varsity Network app.
   

Series History vs. St. Thomas

• South Dakota is 5-1 all-time against St. Thomas and 2-1 against the Tommies in St. Paul.
• The two teams split last year's series, with each earning a win on its home floors.
• St. Thomas won 83-80 at Schoenecker Arena, while the Yotes down the Tommies 74-73 at the SCSC.
•  Max Burchill averaged double-figure scoring against UST last season (13.5). In his lone game against UST last season, Kaleb Stewart scored 16 points in St. Paul with four assists.
• Burchill scored 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting with five 3-pointers in the game at the SCSC and had 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting at Schoenecker Arena.
• At Schoenecker Arena, the Coyotes shot .569 percent from the field (29-of-51) and .611 percent from deep (11-of-18).

 
Getting to the Line

• The Coyotes 51 free throw attempts in Saturday's game against Denver was the third most in a game this season across the NCAA.
• It was the also only the sixth Summit League conference game where a team shot 50+ free throws in a game.
• The Yotes rank No. 3 in the NCAA in free throw attempts per game (27.9) and No. 6 in free throws made per game (19.4). USD ranks No. 1 in the Summit League in both categories.
• Chase Forte is No. 8 in the NCAA in free throw attempts (125) and No. 28 in free throw makes (82).

 
Home Sweet Home

• The Coyotes improved to 9-0 at the SCSC with a 91-84 win over Denver Saturday night.
• The Yotes are averaging 91.2 points per game at the SCSC and hold opponents to an average of 71.0 points.
• USD has scored 90+ points in five home games and reached 100+ once (112 against Randall 11/25).
• The Yotes hold a .502 shooting percentage and have held teams to a .404 shooting percentage.
• USD averages 8.4 3-pointers made
• USD has 125 assists to 98 turnovers (1.56 assist-to-turnover ratio) and has turned over visiting teams 139 times to 95 assists.
• All eight of the Coyotes wins at the SCSC have been by 10 or more points.
• At the SCSC, Chase Forte averages a team high 17.4 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting .531 percent from the field. Forte also grabs 3.4 boards per game.
• Isaac Bruns adds 14.6 points per game off the bench on a .505 shooting percentage. Paul Bruns and Dre Bulllock add 10.2 and 9.8 ppg.
• Paul Bruns had knocked the most triples at home with 17 on 39 attempts (43.6%)
• USD has held the lead at halftime in seven of nine home games and the score has been tied at the intermission twice.
• On average, the Yotes score 44.4 points in the first half, while holding visiting teams to 30.2 points in the opening 20.

 
Cut to the Chase

• 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. 6 in the NCAA and No. 1 among Summit League players with 115 free throws on the season.
• Forte ranks No. 24 in made free throws (73) and second in the Summit League.
• Forte earned his first Summit League weekly award as the Co-Peak Performer of the Week, after averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in a pair of Coyote wins over Wyoming and Western Illinois.
  
  Bruns²
• Isaac Bruns made his first career start as a Coyote Saturday against Denver, marking the first time both Bruns brothers, Isaac and Paul have started a game together at USD.
• Isaac Bruns made the most of his opportunity against the Pioneers. The Yotes' second highest average scorer poured in 21 points on 5-of-9 shooting and went 11-of-14 from the free throw line to go with five rebounds and two steals.