South Dakota men's basketball bounces back shooting in 71-58 win over North Dakota
Kruz Perrot-Hunt barely had time for a single dribble.
It was midway through the second half and the South Dakota senior caught a pass from freshman Keaton Kutcher at the top of the key, but with the shot clock at two, he had to put it up. Immediately.
Perrott-Hunt took one dribble in and rose, sinking a leaning shot as the shot clock blared. Saturday, those types of shots fell for South Dakota.
The Coyotes men's basketball team (13-8, 6-4 Summit) beat North Dakota (4-18, 0-9) 71-58 Saturday at Sanford Coyote Sports Center, bouncing back from a loss to North Dakota State. That game Thursday nearly ended at the end of regulation on a three-point attempt by Tasos Kamateros, but instead resulted in a 12-point overtime loss. After a difficult shooting performance Thursday, the Coyotes shot 50% from the field Saturday while hitting 34.8% of their 23 three-point attempts.
Ahead of a game against South Dakota State next weekend, the win over the Fighting Hawks was a reversion back to the type of solid USD basketball it has played since the shorthanded loss to SDSU in the teams' first matchup. The Coyotes have won six of their last seven games.
"This is our fourth game in eight days after a monster road trip," South Dakota head coach Todd Lee said. "I thought our guys did a great job."
Kamateros had 21 points and 12 rebounds, bouncing back from a two-of-10 shooting performance Thursday. Guard Erik Oliver added 11 points and Damani Hayes had a career-high 11 points on five-of-seven shooting.
The game was rarely close. USD guard Mason Archambault started South Dakota off with a three-pointer that provided some offensive rhythm for the Coyotes. Before long, guard Oliver and forward Kamateros had their own long-distance makes.
Off a missed three-pointer by Archambault, the ball ricocheted out between a North Dakota defender and Kamateros on the perimeter. Kamateros held his ground. The UND player tipped it into his hands and flew out of the play. Wide open, Kamateros rose and drained another three.
"We struggled on Thursday," Kamateros said. "We came out here (and) we just took the shots again."
At a time when South Dakota was starting to struggle on the offensive end, Perrott-Hunt drove baseline and hit a pull-up jumper to put USD’s lead to 12 points. North Dakota had no such option. When the Hawks struggled, there was no escape. They shot 25% in the first half, including just 11% on their three-pointers. They just as many turnovers (six) as field goals.
Perrott-Hunt scored seven straight, Kamateros drained another three and, after a Hayes, missed layup, two North Dakota players fought for the rebound. One threw it off the other out of bounds, handing the ball back back to the Coyotes. South Dakota built a 39-18 lead by the break.
North Dakota came back some in the second half, pulling within 15 points. But South Dakota responded, going up 20 again and getting pretty much anything it wanted offensively.
Kamateros, who was firing from long range in the first half, tried his luck down low and dominated after the break. Hayes, not known for his offense, scored points on the interior as well. North Dakota didn't have the size to match the Coyotes, so when its perimeter players were outplayed, too, the game got ugly.
North Dakota had a late run, though. At the end of a mostly noncompetitive game, they cut the USD lead to 11, threatening to pull within single digits. But Archambault hit a three, Oliver hit a layup and Kamateros responded to two North Dakota baskets with a hook shot.
Even as the lead dwindled, the Coyotes never lost control.
"We're looking to get another winning streak going," Oliver said. "Start it off today and keep carrying it."
South Dakota women's basketball wins 16th-straight
After trailing at halftime for just the fourth time since the start of the nation's longest active win streak, South Dakota (18-4, 11-0 Summit) beat North Dakota (12-10, 6-5 Summit) 88-72 to secure its 16th-straight win Saturday in Grand Forks, N.D.
It marks the third time during the win streak that USD won a game it trailed at the break. South Dakota was down 37-36 at halftime, but used a 30-point third quarter to pull back ahead of the Fighting Hawks.
USD center Hannah Sjerven exploded for 30 points, including 22 in the second half. She added seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Point guard Liv Korngable added 22 points with five assists. Kyah Watson scored 13, Chloe Lamb 11 and Maddie Krull 10.
North Dakota pulled close in the fourth quarter, but behind Sjerven, South Dakota once against a made game that was close at times seem lopsided.
Follow Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter Michael McCleary on Twitter @mikejmccleary.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota bounces back shooting in 71-58 win over North Dakota
