Basketball Teams Split Season-Opening Doubleheader

The Coyote men’s and women’s basketball teams split their opening games Monday inside Sanford Coyote Sports Center. The women defeated York University (Neb.) 104-33, while the men fell to Utah Tech 81-79 in overtime.

All 14 Coyotes who played scored in the win. The team’s 104 points are the second-highest tally for an opening game in program history, behind a 1991 win in which the Coyotes scored 107 points against Rockhurst.

The Coyotes featured 13 new players, four freshmen and nine via the transfer portal, and two returners from the 2024-25 season.

Senior transfer Elise Turrubiates (Tarleton State) scored 16 points and went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Junior transfer Katy Reyerson (Northern Iowa) also had a career-high 16 points in the win. Freshman Alyssa Bartlett notched 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists and steals in her first collegiate game.

South Dakota opened to a 30-2 first-quarter lead and never looked back. The Coyotes shot 40-for-78 (51.3%) from the field and 20-for-24 (83.3%) from the free-throw line. The win marked second-year head coach Carrie Eighmey’s 10th win inside the SCSC.

“We gave a great first impression to people on what we’re going to be about this season,” Eighmey said. “Defending and rebounding with lots of effort and working together to get great shots offensively.”

The Coyotes (1-0), picked fourth in the Summit League preseason poll, will host their first Division I opponent, Air Force, on Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. for Education Day.

The Coyote men’s team took a close loss to Utah Tech for the second time in as many seasons. South Dakota fell 81-79 in overtime.

Leading returner and junior Isaac Bruns led South Dakota with 23 points on 8-for-24 shooting, and redshirt freshman Evan Anderson had 10 points in the loss. Freshman Vince Buzelis (11) and junior Jake Brack (8) led the Coyotes in rebounds.

South Dakota shot just 37.9% (25-for-66) from the field and 11.8% (2-for-17) from 3-point range, but was kept alive by 77.1% (27-for-35) shooting from the free-throw line.

The game, which featured 11 ties and 14 lead changes, took 2 hours and 14 minutes. South Dakota had chances to tie at the end of regulation and overtime, but both came up short.

“[Utah Tech] out-toughed us in the first half, and that was the difference in the game,” fourth-year head coach Eric Peterson said. “We played a lot of young guys, and we’ve got some learning and building to do. It’s early in the year, lots of time to do that.”

The Coyotes (0-1), picked fifth in the Summit League preseason poll, are looking for their first back-to-back conference tournament wins since 2022. The Coyotes resume action Nov. 5 as they travel to 23rd-ranked Creighton before hosting Ozark Christian College on Nov. 8.