VERMILLION, S.D. — The Coyotes close out a five-game stretch that saw them away from the SCSC for four of those contests. South Dakota won 86-79 at Denver Thursday night behind 25 points from Chase Forte.
 
Quick Hitters

• Dre Bullock entered the starting lineup two games  ago and has made his impact felt as the senior guard has scored 51 points in the last two outings. He poured in a career-best 31 points in the Coyote win over Omaha. Bullock also received his first Kwik Star Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honor Monday.
• Bullock's 31 points is the most by a Coyote in a single game this season and the sixth highest point total by a Summit League player this year.
• Chase Forte leads the Coyotes and ranks No. 6 in the Summit League in points per game at 16.3. Forte also has the conference lead with 47 steals on the season.
• Isaac Bruns is second on the squad at 14.7 points per game and is shooting at a .486 clip. The 6'4 guard is active on the boards as the second leading rebounder on the team at 4.3 boards per game.
• Dre Bullock and Kaleb Stewart average 11.2 and 11.0 points per game, respectively.
• The Yotes feature one of the most explosive offenses in the NCAA, ranking No. 4 in the country in scoring offense at 86.1 points per game.
• The four teams scoring at a higher clip than the Yotes include Alabama (90.2), Gonzaga (87.6) and Kentucky (87.0).
• Over the last eight games, the Yotes have scored 90+ points in five games, 100+ twice and are averaging 89.3 points per contest.
• USD has scored 80+ points in 18 games this season.
• It was a back-and-forth month of January for the Yotes as they never won or lost more than one game in a row to finish with a 4-4 record. Following Thursday's win, the Yotes have won back to back games for the first time since December 14 after downing Wyoming and Western Illinois.

How to Follow

• Saturday's game at Oral Roberts 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 fm, or 95.7 fm, or on the Varsity Network app.

Series History vs. Oral Roberts

• The Golden Eagles hold a 14-11 lead all-time against the Coyotes and a 7-4 edge in games played in Tulsa.
• The Yotes won the earlier season matchup 92-82 in the SCSC.
• The Coyotes had five players score in double-figures in the win, led by Chase Forte's 18 points, six assists and three steals. Isaac & Paul Bruns each scored 15 points in the win, while Ashton Smith had 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe.
• Isaac McBride had a game-high 22 points with six triples for the Golden Eagles, while JoJo Moore recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. 

Three Headed Monster

• Dre Bullock has entered the starting lineup over the previous two games, and the combination of Bullock, Chase Forte and Isaac Bruns have combined to score 131 of the Yotes 177 points in wins over Omaha and Denver.
• Bullock's scored 51 points in the past two contests. Following a career-high 31 points against Omaha, Bullock scored 20 on 7-of-11 shooting against the Pioneers.
• Forte matched his career-high with 25 as he led the Yotes to a win over the Pios. He has had 10 steals over the past three contests.
• Bruns has scored in double-figures in each of the last eight games and is averaging 18.4 points per game with four 20+ point performances. 

Forgot About Dre

• Dre Bullock erupted for a career high 31 points in Wednesday's 91-87 win over Omaha and had a career-best six 3-pointers.
• Bullock made his second career start as a Yote in the contest and went 10-for-17 from the field with six rebounds and two steals.
• He is the first Coyote this season to eclipse the 30-point mark in a game and it's the sixth most points scored by a Summit League player in a single game.
• Bullock was key in the Yotes 15-point second half comeback, scoring 13 points while going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. He buried all three of those treys in the final seven minutes of the second half.
• Bullock earned his first Kwik Star Summit League Men's Basketball Peak Performer of the Week honor after the performance against the Mavs.

Scoring in Bunches

• South Dakota eclipsed the 100-point threshold for the third time this season in a 102-93 win over North Dakota.
• The Yotes are averaging 86.1 points per game, which ranks No. 4 in the NCAA.
• The three teams scoring at a higher clip than the Yotes include Alabama (90.2), Gonzaga (87.6) and Kentucky (87.0).
• Over the last eight games, the Yotes have scored 90+ points in five games, 100+ twice and are averaging 89.3 points per contest.
• USD has scored 80+ points in all but six games on the season.
• Part of the Coyotes offensive success has been its ability to reach the charity stripe. USD ranks No. 2 in free attempts per game (28.3) and No. 4 in free throw makes (19.7).
• The Yotes are 9-1 on the season when scoring 90+ points.

Two in a Row

• After a back-and-forth month of January where the Coyotes never strung together one or more wins or losses in a row, the Yotes picked up their second straight win at Denver Thursday 91-87.
• It is the Yotes first two-game win streak since Dec. 10-14 when the downed Wyoming (92-82) and Western Illinois (89-66). Both of those contests were played in the SCSC.

Getting to the Line

• The Coyotes 51 free throw attempts against Denver (1/4/25) is tied for the sixth most in a game this season across the NCAA.
• It was also only the sixth Summit League conference game where a team shot 50+ free throws in a game.
• South Dakota has attempted 30+ free throws in 14 games on the year, most recently at Denver Thursday.
• The Yotes have attempted less than 20 free throws in just five games this season.
• The Yotes rank No. 2 in the NCAA in free throw attempts per game (28.3) and No. 4 in free throws made per game (19.7). USD ranks No. 1 in the Summit League in both categories.
• Chase Forte is one of the best in the country at getting down hill and drawing fouls. Forte is No. 4 in the NCAA in free throw attempts (188) and No. 25 in free throw makes (116).
• The Yotes have made and attempted the most free throws during the Summit League season (197-285) and are shooting .691 percent.
• USD has 14 games with 30+ free throw attempts and has twice shot 40+ in a single game.
• The Yotes were 25-for-30 (83.3%) from the free throw line against Oral Roberts Thursday night, which was the second highest percentage from the charity stripe in a game this year.
• USD was 17-for-18 from the free throw line at Southern Indiana on Nov. 22 (94.4%).

Bench Mob

• The Coyotes bolster the No. 10 ranked bench unit in the NCAA at 33.2 points per game.
• Isaac Bruns has started the last eight games but was the top scorer off the bench in the first 16 games of the season. Bruns is currently averaging 14.7 points per game.
• Dre Bullock has reached double-figures in 11 games and has had multiple steals in nine contests.
• Bullock made his second start of the season last Wednesday against Omaha and poured in a career high 31 points. 

Defensive Pressure

• Behind a rotation of players and a full court press, the Coyotes have forced on average 13.5 turnovers per game, which ranks No. 1 among Summit League teams.
• USD has been one of the best teams in the country at valuing the basketball, ranking No. 28 in fewest turnovers per game (10.1). The Yotes also rank No. 31 in turnover margin (+3.4).
• The Yotes turn defense to offense as they average 16.7 points per game off opponents turnovers.
• Chase Forte paces the Summit League with 47 steals on the season.
• South Dakota has held 10 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 13 games this season. USD had a season high 24 assists in its win over Randall.