ST. PAUL, Minn. — It was a night to forget defensively for the South Dakota men’s basketball team, and fans of good defensive play in general.
The Coyotes struggled all game to find a defensive rhythm in their 119-104 defeat against St. Thomas in Summit League play. While the Coyotes had no trouble scoring as well, shooting 47.6% from the field, the Tommies were even better as they finished the day with a 56.5% mark from the field.
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There was little defensive play all game from either side. Even by halftime, both teams eclipsed the 50-point mark with the Tommies in front 60-51. The second half didn’t turn out a whole lot different as both teams just kept scoring. The only difference is that the Coyotes shot a fair bit better in the final 20 minutes while the Tommies shot worse than they did in the first half.
The Coyotes, despite being unable to find consistent defensive stops, managed to stay within striking distance throughout most of the game. At multiple points during the fourth quarter, USD looked like it could find a way to bring the game to within a few possessions with single-digit deficits. But it all came back down to defense, where the Coyotes were unable to string stops together to mount a meaningful comeback.
With so much offense, it also resulted in a lot of high-scoring performances. Between both teams, 12 players scored in double-figures while three players scored over 20 points. For St. Thomas, Miles Barnstable led the way with a game-high 28 points. Kendall Blue finished with 17 while Drake Dobbs and Carter Bjerke finished with 16.
For USD, Isaac Bruns paced the team with 22 points and Chase Forte wasn’t far behind with 21. Quandre Bullock finished with 19 points and Paul Bruns finished with 15.
USD (10-8, 1-2 Summit) will be back at home on Thursday, Jan. 16 to face Oral Roberts.
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