VERMILLION, S.D. – Five players scored in double-figures, and South Dakota basketball scored 51 second half points on the way to a 95-57 season-opening win over Mount Marty Monday night in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
Of the five Coyotes in double-figures, four made their Coyote debuts tonight, led by Jahni Summers’ 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Kajus Kublickas added 14 points, Josiah Dotzler, m all of last season due to injury had 12 and Stef van Bussel had 11. Vince Buzelis chipped in 14 points and had a team-leading seven rebounds and six assists.
South Dakota frequented the free throw line often in the first half with 28 attempts and knocked down 20 at the charity stripe. Summers reached double-figure scoring in the first 20 minutes with 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting. The Lancers stayed within 10 of the Yotes for the better part of the first 12 minutes of action, before the Coyotes extended their lead to double-digits by outscoring Mount Marty 20-6 over the final eight minutes to take a 44-29 lead at half.
The Coyotes picked up right where they left off in the first half with 10 straight points to start the second, including a pair of 3-pointers from Summers and Dotzler. Behind a 54.8 shooting percentage in the second half, the Coyotes cruised to the 95-57 win.
South Dakota finished the game 31-of-41 from the free throw line, 28-for-53 from the field and 8-of-25 from deep. USD won the rebounding battle 42 to 19, had more points in the paint 40 to 32 and bench points 40 to 27.
The Coyotes turned Mount Marty over 18 times, with nine steals led by Dotzler’s three. Buzelis and Marvin Richard III also had a pair of steals. Van Bussel finished his night with a perfect 4-of-4 shooting for his 11 points and converted 3-of-4 attempts at the free throw line.
South Dakota continues its four game homestand to kick off the season Wednesday night when they host Northern Kentucky at 7 p.m. in the SCSC.