USD ends three-game skid with win against Western Illinois
Just days after a third-consecutive loss at the hands of Oral Roberts, the University of South Dakota men’s basketball team wiped away any doubts they may have had about its success.
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The Coyotes left with a sure-handed 75-61 win over Western Illinois Thursday night at the DakotaDome.
Senior guard Brandon Bos said the team needed this win badly heading into a big match-up with new Summit League leader North Dakota State.
“(Getting this win) felt good,” Bos said. “It’s nice to get one back and have good momentum heading into Saturday’s game.”
Head coach Craig Smith couldn’t downplay the importance Thursday’s game had on his team’s morale.
“(After the Oral Roberts loss), that was a beat up locker room. To come back the way they did — they kept their heads up — was good to see,” he said. “It was benign in the Dome, and they did a good job creating energy.”
With senior guard Tyler Larson held to zero points in the first half, junior guard Tre Burnette filled in, scoring 19 points off 8-of-14 shooting and seven rebounds.
However, he didn’t have to carry the team long. Larson came out of the locker room at the half red hot, netting 16 points in the second.
“At halftime I looked in a mirror and talked to myself and said I gotta get it going,” Larson said. “I came out more aggressive in the second, Brandon found me a few times, and I made some plays.”
Bos tagged on an additional 18 points in the Coyotes’ first win since beating Western Illinois Jan. 22 in Macomb.
USD began the game with a 14-2 lead, but the Leathernecks managed to cut the lead to 14-12.
The two teams traded blows through the first half, with USD leading by just one point at halftime.
With the team’s tendency to blow big leads, Bos said Smith managed to light a spark in the team — leading to a winning-route in the second half.
“I don’t want to spill the beans, but he has a way of sparking us at half,” Bos said. “He tells it like it is, and he gives us positivity to get it done.”
Following Thursday’s win, the Coyotes embark on a three-game road trip, beginning with North Dakota State.
“I don’t know if I feel good (about playing NDSU), but it’s a good opportunity,” Smith said. “It’s gonna be a great crowd. It’s gonna be an electric, playoff atmosphere, and we’ve got nothing to lose.”
(Photo: Junior guard Tre Burnette goes up for a lay-up during Thursday night’s home game in the DakotaDome against Western Illionois. The Coyotes won 75-61. Malachi Petersen / The Volante)
