For those of you who were gone over Thanksgiving break, you missed one hell of a men’s basketball weekend.
The seventh-ranked Coyotes (5-0) played four games in five days, including games Friday, Saturday and again Sunday.
Here’s a game-by-game recap of this weekend’s action:
Wednesday. USD 104, Chadron State 89: Coyote junior Dylan Grimsley scored 27 points and sophomore Tyler Cain blocked six shots as USD scored 100 points or more for the first time in two seasons (2005).
The Coyotes went on a 26-0 run in the first half en route to the victory.
Friday. USD 69, Truman State 46: Facing one of the more meticulous offenses in the country, the Coyotes stayed patient and held the Bulldogs to just 32 percent shooting from the field.
Senior transfer Nick Morrell led the Coyotes with 13 points, while Cain blocked five shots in the win.
Saturday. USD 79, Nebraska-Kearney 68: In a physical game against the team that bounced them from the playoffs last season, the Coyotes used nine blocks from Cain to defeat the Lopers.
Cain’s defensive performance easily stole the show — as did junior Mitch Begeman’s 18 points off the bench — but perhaps the biggest story was the injury to 6-foot-11 senior center Steve Smith. Going after a loose ball in the second half, Smith crashed into the media table and immediately went to the ground, holding his left ankle.
Sunday. USD 87, William Penn 67: Against the 23rd-ranked team in NAIA, the Coyotes were able to fight off a pesky Statesmen team and earn the victory.
In the win, senior Eric Hall scored 21 points and Cain added six more blocks. But the biggest difference was at the free throw line, where the Coyotes connected on 27-of-42 attempts, while William Penn made just 8-of-15 free throws.
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Hopefully now you’re all caught up on USD men’s basketball and will come out and cheer on the team the rest of the season. The Coyotes return to the DakotaDome Sunday, Dec. 9 for a matchup with NAIA Peru State.
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