VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota basketball returns to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Wednesday night at 7 p.m. to host Portland State in its first game of this year's Big Sky – Summit Challenge.

Spectator parking will be adjusted for Wednesday's game due to construction on the DakotaDome Roof. Lots A and B will not be open. An updated parking lot is available below.

Quick Hitters

• The Coyotes improved to 5-3 on the season with an 80-63 win over Air Force Saturday at The Monument in Rapid City, South Dakota. Isaac Bruns paced the Yotes with a career-high 24 points and had six rebounds.
• Bruns picked up his first career Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honor Tuesday following his performance against Air Force.
• USD has won five of its last six games and have scored 80+ points in all five wins. The Coyotes are averaging 84.8 points per game which paces the Summit League through the early part of the season.
• In the Yotes home win over Western Michigan, the Yotes ended the game against the Broncos in a flurry with an 11-0 run over the final 4:32 of the second half. Uzziah Buntyn had a career day with 19 points, 14 of which came in the second half on 5-of-6 shooting with four 3-pointers.
• In the Coyotes win over Ozark Christian on Nov. 9, South Dakota set a new program record for points in a first half with 72, breaking the record of 70 points against Westmar in 1977.
• Preseason All-Summit League First Team selection Isaac Bruns ranks No. 3 in the conference at 17.4 points per game this season
• The Coyotes have been among the best in the NCAA so far this season in crashing the offensive glass, ranking No. 5 in the country with 16.38 offensive boards per game.
• Four Coyotes have over 10 offensive rebounds this year with Jake Brack leading the way with 16. Cameron Fens, Isaac Bruns and Evan Anderson have 13 each, while Vince Buzelis has 12.
• Through the first five home games of the year, the Coyotes are averaging 90.8 points per game in the SCSC while holding visiting teams to 75.8 points on average. Isaac Bruns (17.0), Shey Eberwein (11.6), Jordan Crawford (11.4) and Uzziah Buntyn (11.0) are all averaging double-digit scoring at home.
• South Dakota was picked to finish fifth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll and received one first place vote. Isaac Bruns was named to the conference's preseason first team. He was an All-Summit League Honorable Mention a season ago.
• Eric Peterson enters year four as the head coach of the South Dakota men's basketball team and holds a 48-56 overall record.

How to Follow

• Wednesday's matchup between the Coyotes and Vikings will be available 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 fm, or on the Varsity Network app.

Series History

• South Dakota and Portland State will meet on the hardwood for the first time this Wednesday.

PPOTW for Isaac

• Isaac Bruns became the first Coyote this season to be named a Kwik Star Summit League Peak Performer of the Week Tuesday.
• Bruns poured in a career high 24 points against Air Force Saturday and had six rebounds (four offensive).
• Bruns was key to holding off a second half run by the Falcons, as he scored 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting in the final 20 minutes to lead the Yotes to an 80-63 win in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Crashing the Glass

• Led by Jake Brack's 16 offensive rebounds, the Coyotes rank No. 5 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (16.38).
• Cameron Fens, Isaac Bruns and Evan Anderson each have 13 o-boards, while Vince Buzelis (12) is the fourth Coyote with 10+.
• In Porter Ihen's 20-point, 13-rebound double-double, seven of his boards were off the offensive glass.
• Ihnen is the first Coyote this season to record a double-double.

We've Got Options

• The Coyotes have had a different leading scorer in six of the last seven games.
• Jordan Crawford had a team high and then season high 18 points against Missouri, scoring 16 of his points in the first half of the contest.
• Crawford followed that performance up with a 25-point outburst against SC State Sunday, which was a new career-high.
• The Coyotes have been led in scoring by a true freshman in two games this season with Jesse McIntosh scoring 20 in a win over Ozark Christian College (11/9) and Uzziah Buntyn pouring in 19 points and five 3-pointers in the win over Western Michigan.
• Redshirt-sophomore, Shey Eberwein, had a team-high 18 in a win over Southern Indiana, which also set a new career-high.
• Isaac Bruns led the Yotes in scoring in Saturday's win over Air Force with a career high 24 points and leads the team with a 17.4 points per game average.

Scoring in Bunches

• The Yotes finished last season ranked No. 3 in the NCAA at 85.2 points per game.
• After scoring in the high 70s in the first two games of the year, the Coyote offense has found its groove over the last six games for a 87.2 points per game average.
• South Dakota has scored over 80 points in five of the last six games, including a 121 point outburst against Ozark Christian.
• The Coyote offense has been explosive at home, as they average 90.8 points per game at the SCSC.

Bench Mob

• After ending the 2024-25 season with the No. 10 ranked bench scoring unit (30.88 pts/game), the Coyotes rank No. 40 in the NCAA at 34.13 bench points this season.
• A trio of freshmen in Jesse McIntosh, Uzziah Buntyn and Vince Buzelis are the leaders off the bench for USD.
• Buntyn has moved into the starting lineup the last two games and is averaging 9.9 points per game, after dropping a career-high 19 points in the win over Western Michigan. He is shooting 51.9% from the field and 50.0% from deep.
• McIntosh, who made one start in the season opener, has averaged 7.4 points per game and has grabbed 3.5 boards per game.
• Buzelis has scored on average 5.1 points per game and grabbed 3.9 boards per game.

72 in a Half

• The Coyotes set a new program record with 72 first half points against Ozark Christian College.
• The Yotes were 28-for-47 (59.6%) from the field in the first 20 minute sand knocked down eight 3-pointers.
• South Dakota had 23 points off turnovers, 25 on second chances and 42 bench points in the opening half.