by Bryan Boettcher, USD Sports Information
DENVER—Mason Archambault (Standing Rock Sioux) scored a game-high 25 points and South Dakota continued to play well on the road, getting past Denver 84-76 Saturday inside Hamilton Gymnasium.
The Coyotes showed no weariness in playing their fourth game in eight days, the last three on the road. They improved to 15-10 overall and 8-6 in Summit League play. They have won five of their last six road games inside the conference.
Denver (9-19, 5-10 Summit) got 19 points, six rebounds and five assists from KJ Hunt, but couldn’t crack the Coyote code. The Pioneers have lost nine straight in the series.
Kruz Perrott-Hunt added 15 points for South Dakota, but it was more production from the bench that spurned USD to victory. Erik Oliver made 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and scored 11 points. Damani Hayes hit 4-of-5 shots and converted a pair of and-1s near the middle of the second half when USD broke free. Hayes totaled 10 points.
Archambault had 12 points during a back-and-forth first half and South Dakota led 39-37 at the break. The Coyotes made 15-of-30 shots in the opening stanza while Denver made 15-of-22.
Hayes’ second three-point play gave USD its first double-digit lead at 60-48 with 11 minutes left and Oliver buried back-to-back triples shortly thereafter for the largest lead of the game, 68-55, with nine minutes to go.
Denver closed within six points on two free throws from Tevin Smith near the five-minute mark. But Boogie Anderson, Tasos Kamateros and Hayes scored on three straight possessions to push the lead back to 12 and South Dakota closed it out from the free-throw line.
Denver cooled down to 36 percent shooting in the second half and the Coyotes forced 13 turnovers during the game while committing just six. Both teams made nine 3-pointers, but South Dakota outscored Denver from the free-throw line 21-9.
