TULSA, Okla. — South Dakota closed out a 2-0 road week with a gritty 75-74 win over Oral Roberts Saturday night at the Mabee Center.
Chase Forte led the Yotes with 14 points on the night, while Paul Burns was the only other Coyote in double-figures with 11 off the bench. Both Forte and Bruns had a team-high eight rebounds. Ashton Smith rejected a pair of ORU shots, while Paul and Isaac Burns each had three steals.
Neither team shot it well from deep in the matchup as they combined to shoot 12-for-49 from deep. While the Golden Eagles shot it at a higher clip from the field, 44.4% to 33.3% for the Yotes, it was the charity stripe that had the biggest impact tonight. The Coyotes, one of the nation’s best at earning free throws, connected on 25-of-32 free throws while limiting ORU to 12-of-18 at the charity stripe.
It was a slugfest to start the contest, as the Yotes held a 17-13 lead 10 minutes in. While the Golden Eagles stuck close with USD throughout the first half, it was the Coyotes who held the advantage for over 16 minutes. The Yotes took their first double-digit lead of the night, 30-20, following four straight points from Mayuom Buom. While USD would carry a 34-30 lead into the half, ORU closed the gap in the final two minutes with an 8-1 run.
Forte and Dre Bullock led the Yotes in the second half with 10 and nine points, respectively. The duo combined to shoot 12-of-14 from the free throw line. ORU’s momentum carried over to the second half as they opened with a 10-4 run to take a 40-38 lead four minutes in. After the 16-minute mark the score was either tied or held by the Golden Eagles until USD regained the lead with 52 seconds left following a pair of free throws from Forte. A few possessions prior, a pair of Coyote seniors in Paul Bruns and Bullock knocked down back-to-back clutch three-pointers to tie the contest at 70.
With 32 seconds remaining ORU’s Isaac McBride connected on two free throws to knot the contest back at 74-74. With time winding down, Forte was fouled on a tough take to the rim and earned a pair of free throws. After connecting on one free throw, and giving USD the lead, ORU last second 3-point attempt was off the mark and South Dakota secured its second straight road win.
The Coyotes return to Vermillion with a three-game win streak and have two big upcoming games at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center starting Thursday against Kansas City.
Notes
- South Dakota moves to 15-10 on the season and 6-4 in Summit League play
- The Yotes have won three straight and for the first time this season have won straight on the road
- The Coyotes point total of 75 tonight is the lowest they’ve scored in a win this season
- Chase Forte has scored in double-figures in 10 straight games
- The Yotes have earned 30+ trips to the free throw line in each of the last four games
- South Dakota is now 8-1 on the season when holding a team to less than 80 points