VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota closed out a dominating season at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Saturday evening with a 92-79 victory over North Dakota. The Coyotes end the season with a 14-2 record at the SCSC.
Chase Forte had himself a night, setting a new career high with 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting while knocking down all three attempts from deep. Forte had seven rebounds, three assists and one steal on the night. Isaac Bruns added 19 points and matched Forte’s team high of seven rebounds. Dre Bullock added 15 points, including a trio of monster dunks, and had two steals.
Forte had it going offensively early, scoring 16 of his 31 points in the first half on 6-of-9 shooting. Kaleb Stewart kicked off Senior Day Saturday with a dunk following a Bullock steal. North Dakota held a six-point lead early, which would be its largest lead of the day, six minutes in. The opening half saw plenty of dunks and runs with the lead changing hands 16 times in the first 20 minutes. The Yotes put together their best run of the half late with an 8-0 swing with 39 seconds left. After Bullock connected on a pair of free throws with six seconds left, a Forte and Bullock full court trap forced a UND turnover and a score and score for Forte as time expired to give USD a 39-30 at the half.
While the Yotes won the first five minutes out of the intermission, the Fighting Hawks won the next five to take a 59-57 lead. The Coyote seniors Forte, Bullock, Stewart and Paul Bruns comibined to score nine of the next 10 points for USD as they retook a 68-61 advantage. North Dakota hung around the Yotes until a contested dagger 3-pointer from Forte put the Yotes up 10, 86-76, with a minute thirty remaining. USD went 4-for-4 from the free throw line and held UND scoreless over the final minute to close out the 92-79 Senior Day win.
South Dakota enters next week’s Summit League Tournament as the No. 5 seed and will face North Dakota State on Friday at 6:00 p.m. from the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Notes
- South Dakota concludes the regular season with an 18-13 record and a 14-2 record at the SCSC
- Chase Forte hit the 30-point mark for the second time this season
- Isaac Bruns has scored in double-figures in six straight
- The Yotes are 12-2 on the season when leading at halftime
- USD turned the Hawks over 12 times and scored 20 points off turnovers
- South Dakota has 44 points in the paint and 12 on second chances
- USD recorded a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the eighth straight game
- Forte has scored 20+ points in four straight games
- Dre Bullock has scored in double-figures in each of the last six games