Coyotes sweep double-header at Western Illinois

USD men’s and women’s basketball left Macomb, Ill. Saturday with victories over Western Illinois.

The Coyote men avenged an earlier loss to the Leathernecks, winning the rematch 80-67. On the women’s side, at the time No. 25/25 USD extended their winning streak to 10 games with an 83-61 win. 

Coyote men hold on in second half

Senior Trey Burch-Manning was held to 1-of-5 shooting for three points in the first half, but the shooting slump did not carry into the second half, where USD built a 35-29 halftime lead. Burch-Manning tallied 17 second-half points on 6-of-11 shooting, and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. He finished with 20 points, his most since Nov. 19 against UMBC.

After scoring 12 points in the first half, sophomore Stanley Umude only played five minutes of the second half, finishing the game with 17 points and seven boards. Simpson finished the game with 13 points and five assists. Juniors Tyler Peterson and Brandon Armstrong added 11 points apiece. As a team, the Coyotes were 20-of-26 from the free throw line and shot 43% (25-58) from the field.

USD went with a smaller lineup as freshman Matt Johns did not play and senior Dan Jech played only four minutes. Johns and Jech have been the two main players in attempting to fill the role of injured big man Tyler Hagedorn, who is missing the season with a foot injury.

The Coyotes (10-15) were able to leap the Leathernecks in the Summit League standings following the victory. USD now sits at 4-8 in conference play, good for sixth place. A win over Denver Wednesday gives the Coyotes a guaranteed spot in the Summit League tournament in March.

Saturday showcases another USD-SDSU showdown as the Coyotes make the trip to Brookings to take on the Jackrabbits. SDSU won the first meeting 79-61.

No. 23 Coyote women win tenth straight

Four players finished in double-figures to lead a USD sweep over the Leathernecks 80-67. Redshirt-sophomore Hannah Sjerven scored 20 points in 18 minutes to lead the charge.

Junior Ciara Duffy contributed 18 points and sophomore Chloe Lamb 17. Junior Taylor Frederick added 10 points.

“Playing in Macomb is a tough for a variety of reasons; it is a long trip and Western Illinois plays a tough style to prepare for,” head coach Dawn Plitzuweit told GoYotes. “We did a good job of making adjustments throughout the game and found a way to pick up a really good road victory.”

Duffy scored 16 of her points in the first half. After a competitive first quarter, the Coyotes went on 17-4 run in the second quarter and lead 39-28 at the intermission.

Sjerven dominated in the limited time she played in the second half. Sjerven scored 16 points in seven minutes. She was a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor and 6-of-10 from the free throw line.

The 11-point lead continued to grow throughout the second half, the largest lead being 23 points with 2:13 to go in the game. This meeting was a bit closer than the first, which ended in a 43-point home win for USD.

The Coyotes stout defense made yet another appearance. The Leathernecks are fourth in the nation in 3-pointers made, but finished the game 5-of-16 from three. On the other side, USD shot 10-for-23 from downtown.

The game is the first game the Coyotes played as an AP Top 25 team. After other Top 25 teams like Michigan State and Rutgers lost during the week, USD climbed to 23 in the AP and USA Today/Coaches poll.

The Coyotes have a big week ahead with two pivotal Summit League games.
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On Thursday, the Coyotes look to avenge their lone loss of Summit League play against Denver, who beat USD 104-99 on Jan. 3. The Denver loss is also the last time the Coyotes lost a game this season.

The Coyotes make the trip to Brookings for the in-state rivalry game against South Dakota State on Sunday. Both teams have one loss in conference play, and USD won the first meeting in a double-overtime thriller 105-98 on Jan. 6. The winner of Sunday’s showdown will be in the front runner to win the Summit League regular season title.