VERMILLION, S.D. — For the second time in as many games, Isaac Bruns set a new career high with 28 points, but South Dakota basketball would fall 77-71 to Portland State Wednesday night in its first game of the Big Sky – Summit Challenge.
 
Bruns finished the contest 8-of-17 from the field and 10-13 from the free throw line while nearly securing his first double-double of the season with nine rebounds. He also had a career high four steals and dished out three assists.
 
Cameron Fens added 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go with six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Uzziah Buntyn was the other Coyote in double-digit scoring with 11 points and had a pair of steals.
 
The Coyotes held the edge in the rebounding battle (40-36) and scored 17 second chance points off 13 offensive rebounds. Portland State turned the Yotes over 17 times resulting in 22 points and had 24 points on the fast break. The Vikings attempted just 10 triples, connecting on three, and scored a majority of their points inside with 50 points in the paint.
 
A closely contested first half saw four lead changes and three ties while neither team held a lead larger than seven throughout the first 20 minutes. Bruns paced the Yotes in opener with 10 points, and the Coyote starting five accounted for 28 of USD's 31 points. South Dakota grabbed a four-point lead, 21-17, near the midway point off a 10-1 run with four different Coyotes scoring. The Vikings, however, would regain the lead at the eight-minute mark and stay out in front to take a 38-31 advantage at the intermission.
 
The teams traded baskets for the first 10 minutes of second half action before the Vikings opened a double-digit lead for the first time at 54-43. The Yotes began to chip away at the lead late behind back-to-back and-ones from Buntyn and Bruns to cut the deficit to five, 70-65, with 1:41 left. Bruns scored the final nine points for South Dakota, but the Yotes were unable to complete the comeback and fell 77-71 to Portland State.
 
The Coyotes hit the road for their next two games starting on Saturday for their second game of the Big Sky – Summit Challenge against Northern Colorado Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.
 
Notes

• South Dakota falls to 5-4 on the season and 4-2 at home
• Isaac Bruns set a new career high for the second straight game with 28 points
• It's Bruns' third game of the season with 20+ points
• Bruns also set a new career high with four steals
• Cameron Fens had a season-high 15 points, his third straight game and fifth in his last six games with 10+ points
• It was also Fens' fourth game of the season with 2+ blocks
• Uzziah Buntyn has scored in double-figures in four of his last five games
• USD has pulled down 10+ offensive in each of the first nine games to start the season