VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota returns to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Saturday night for a meeting with Denver at 7:00 p.m. USD enters the contest with a perfect 8-0 record at home, and average 91.3 points per game at the SCSC.


Quick Hitters

• During nonconference play and through one conference game, Chase Forte leads the Yotes in scoring at 15.1 points per game.
• Forte has 12 games where he scored in double-figures and has hit 20-points 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 9.3 or more points per game and three averaging 10.0+ points per game.
• Chase Forte is first on the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game and leads the Yotes in assists (3.6), steals (1.7) and minutes (26.6).
• Isaac Bruns has scored in double figures in 13 of 16 games and is averaging 12.8 points off the bench.
• Bruns and Bullock lead a South Dakota bench unit that ranks No. 11 in the NCAA in bench points at 35.1 points per game.
• Bullock is tied for fifth on the team at 9.4 points per game and second with 1.6 steals per contest.
• Kaleb Stewart is the other Coyote averaging double-digit scoring at 11.8 points per game and has eight games with 10+ points and has hit the 20-point mark three times.
• Cameron Fens adds 9.3 ppg and grabs a team-leading 5.1 rebounds per game.
• South Dakota features one of the highest scoring offenses in the NCAA, as its 84.6 points per game ranks No. 27 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 turn to defense to offense as they score on average 17.3 points per game off turnovers, while limiting opponents to 11.6 points off its own turnovers.
   

How to Follow

• Saturday's game against Denver 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. Denver

• South Dakota holds a 16-11 lead all-time against the Pioneers and is 9-4 in Vermillion.
• The two teams split last year's series, with each earning a win on its home floors.
• USD won 92-86 at home, while Denver won a 111-110 double overtime thriller in Denver.
•  Returners, Paul Bruns and Max Burchill, scored in double-figures when the Pioneers and Yotes met in the SCSC a season ago.
• Bruns scored 18 points while going 4-of-9 from deep and had a team-high eight rebounds. Burchill added 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
• In the game at Denver last season, Kaleb Stewart poured in a career high 44 points on 16-of-31 shooting and went 8-for-13 from deep.

 
Home Sweet Home

• The Coyotes enter Saturday's matchup with Denver at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center with a perfect 8-0 record at home.
• The Yotes are averaging 91.3 points per game at the SCSC and hold opponents to an average of 69.4 points.
• USD has scored 90+ points in four home games and reached 100+ once (112 against Randall 11/25).
• The Yotes hold a .504 shooting percentage and have held teams to a .394 shooting percentage.
• USD averages 8.9 3-pointers made
• USD has 116 assists to 88 turnovers (1.32 assist-to-turnover ratio) and has turned over visiting teams 125 times to 80 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 16.9 points, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting .531 percent from the field. Forte also grabs 3.6 boards per game.
• Isaac Bruns adds 13.8 points per game off the bench on a .500 shooting percentage. Paul Bruns and Dre Bullock add 10.8 and 10.0 ppg.
• Paul Bruns had knocked the most triples at home with 16 on 37 attempts (43.2%)
• USD has held the lead at halftime in six of eight home games and the score has been tied at the intermission twice.
• On average, the Yotes score 44.6 points in the first half, while holding visiting teams to 29.4 points in the opening 20.

 
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.

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.

 
Everyone Eats

• Behind a balanced attack, the Coyotes boast the No. 27 ranked scoring offense in the NCAA at 84.6 points per game.
• Three Yotes average double-digit point totals and six score over 9.3 points per game.
• Chase Forte leads the Yotes in scoring at 15.1 points per game and in assists per game at 3.6.
• Isaac Bruns has scored in double figures in 13 of 16 games to and is averaging 12.8 points per game which is second on the team.
• Kaleb Stewart is averaging double-digit scoring at 11.8 points per game and has eight games with 10+ points and has hit the 20-point mark three times.
• Paul Bruns (9.6), Dre Bullock (9.4) and Cameron Fens (9.3) are 3-6 in scoring for the Yotes.