VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota basketball is back in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Saturday to host Denver in its conference home opener for its Salute to Service game.
Quick Hitters

• The Coyotes have been exceptional at home with a 7-2 record but have struggled to find their footing away from the Sanford Coyote Sports Center with an 0-7 mark.
• The Coyotes average 87.4 points per game while holding visiting teams to 74.8 points in the SCSC but surrender 96.9 points per game when on the road while scoring 76.1 points on the road.
• Trent Hudgens and Silas Bennion were added to the Coyote roster this week and made their South Dakota debuts in Wednesday's game at St. Thomas.
• Hudgens, a Third Team NAIA All-American in 2023-24, found his groove in the second half against the Tommies with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
• Junior guard Isaac Bruns was named to the Lou Henson Player of the Year Award Early Season Watch List in December. The award recognizes the top player in mid-major college basketball.
• Bruns has scored 20+ in eight of the last 10 games and increased his scoring average to 20.7 points per game which ranks No. 2 in the conference and No. 25 in the NCAA. Bruns' 352 total points on the season ranks No. 3 in the NCAA behind Purdue Fort Wayne's Corey Hadnot II and St. Thomas' Nolan Minessale who each have 361 points.
• Bruns is No. 19 in the NCAA with 111 field goals made, No. 2 in free throws made (106) and No. 7 in free throw attempts (126).
• Bruns and Cameron Fens each set new career highs in USD's win over PVAMU. Bruns poured in 29 points, while Fens tallied a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double.
• The Yotes led the conference with an average of 13.59 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks No. 39 in the NCAA, but have been held to nine offensive rebounds in each of their first two Summit League games.
• South Dakota has gone to the line frequently through the first 16 games, ranking No. 14 in the NCAA in free throw attempts per game (27.0) and are No. 19 free throw makes per game (19.8).
• 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 51-61 overall record.

How to Follow

• Saturday's matchup between the Coyotes and Pioneers will be available on the Midco Sports Two, the Summit League Network and Midco Sports Plus.
• The radio call by John Thayer can be found on the Coyote Sports Network on the Varsity Network app.

Series History

• South Dakota is 18-11 all-time against Denver after the Coyotes earned a regular season sweep over the Pios a year ago.
• Each team picked up a win on its home floor, and the series is even at 2-2 when played in St. Paul. It will be the first meeting between the two teams at the Tommies' new arena, Lee & Penny Anderson Arena.
• It was a high scoring affair when the Yotes and Tommies met in St. Paul last year, with St. Thomas taking a 119-104 win in regulation.
• Both teams connected on 10+ 3-pointers, and both shot over 40 free throws in the contest.
• Isaac Bruns led the way for the Yotes with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting with three triples.

The New Guys

• Reinforcements arrived this week for a Coyote squad dealing with a number of injuries in Trent Hudgens and Silas Bennion.
• Hudgens was second on the team with 17 points in his debut Wednesday against St. Thomas. He scored all 17 points in the second half of the contest on 5-of-7 shooting with one 3-pointer. He also led the team with four assists on the night.
• Hudgens was a 2023-24 Third Team NAIA All-American at Arizona Christian (2022-25) where he helped the Firestorm to three regular season GSAC Championship. In his sophomore season at ACU, Hudgens and the Firestorm advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament.
• Hudgens' previous stops also included Northern Colorado (2020-21) and Santa Clara (2021-22).
• Bennion scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting with a triple and had three rebounds Wednesday.
• Bennion spent two seasons at Jamestown (2023-25) and Lewis - Clark State (2021-23).
• He was a 2024-25 NSAA First Team All-Confernce selection and a 2023-24 First Team All-GPAC honoree for the Jimmies.
• Bennion led Jamestown in scoring a season ago at 16.5 points per game to go with 3.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds. He scored a career-high 38 points against Dickinson State in his junior year (2023-24).

Lou Henson Award Watch List

• Isaac Bruns was named to the Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List.
• The award is presented annually to the top player in Mid-Major Division I College Basketball.
• Bruns leads the Coyotes with a 20.7 points per game average and ranks No. 2 in the Summit League in scoring.
• Three other Summit League players were mentioned on the watch list in St. Thomas' Nolan Minessale, Omaha's Lance Waddles and North Dakota State's Demari Wheeler-Thomas.

First Half Success

• South Dakota is 7-0 on the season when holding a lead at the halftime break and 1-9 when trailing at intermission.
• In those seven wins the Coyotes have averaged 47.7 points in the first half while holding opponents to 32.9 points.
• On the flip side, in the nine losses the Coyotes have been outscored 45.6 to 33.8 in the first half.
• The Yotes trailed 39-33 to Dakota State on December 17 but outscored the Trojans 47-32 in the second half.
• Twice this seasons the Coyotes have trailed at halftime and respond in the second half to force overtime but fell in both contests to Utah Tech and at Northern Colorado.

Career Days

• A pair of Coyotes in Isaac Bruns and Cameron Fens had career days for the Yotes in Saturday's 97-85 win over Prairie View A&M.
• Bruns set another new career high point total of 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers. Bruns also grabbed eight rebounds and went 9-of-12 from the free throw line.
• Fens notched a double-double with new career highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds. Four of his boards were off the offensive glass. He connected on 10-of-13 field goal attempts and was 2-for-3 from the free throw line.
• Fens would make it back-to-back double-doubles in the next game when he scored 13 points and had 11 rebounds against Dakota State.

Ice is Heating Up

• Isaac Bruns filled up the scoring column in the month of December scoring 20+ in six of eight games.
• Over that stretch of play, Bruns averaged 23.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1%.
• In three of those eight games, Bruns has rewrote his career-high point total, most recently against PVAMU with 29 points.
• Bruns took advantage of his trips to the charity stripe going 61-for-71 (85.9%). He also led the team with 14 triples, converting at a 50.0% rate in December.
• Bruns is among the best in the NCAA at getting to and converting at the free throw line as he ranks No. 2 in the country in free throw makes (106 ), No. 7 in attempts (126) and is converting at a 84.1% clip.
• He ranks No. 19 in the NCAA in field goals (111) and No. 6 in field goal attempts (256).
• Bruns ranks No. 2 in the conference and No. 25 in the NCAA at 20.7 points per game.
• Bruns has scored the third most total points across the NCAA with 352.

Feed the Big Fella

• Following a career-day with 22 points and 14 rebounds, Cameron Fens notched five straight games with double-digit point totals and has a pair of double-doubles. His 10+ point streak ended Wednesday against St. Thomas but pulled down his fourth game this season with double-figure rebounds.
• Over the last six games, the Coyote center has averaged 13.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
• Fens had back-to-back double-doubles against Prairie View A&M (22 pts, 14 reb) and against Dakota State (13 pts, 11 reb).
• Fens has scored 10+ in nine of the last 11 games with four double-doubles.

Crashing the Glass

• Behind seven players with 10+ offensive rebounds on the season, the Coyotes rank No. 39 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (13.59).
• Cameron Fens is No. 6 in the conference and leads the Yotes with 39 offensive rebounds on the year, while Isaac Bruns is second on the team with 28.
• The Yotes have pulled down 10+ offensive rebounds in 13 of 17 games.

Freebies

• South Dakota ranks No. 9 in the NCAA in free throw attempts per game (27.6) and No. 15 in free throw makes (20.0)
• Bruns has converted 100 of his 119 attempts at the charity stripe, while Uzziah Buntyn is second on the team and is 53-of-69.
• Four Coyotes with 40+ free throw attempts on the year are shooting at a 70.0% clip or higher.
• The Yotes have attempted 30+ free throws in six games this season, including a season-high 37-of-46 in the win over Southern Indiana. USD has made 20+ in seven contests.
• The Coyotes have been held to 18.3 free throw attempts per game over their last three contests.