The Basics
Score: No. 3 North Dakota State 70, No. 6 South Dakota 68
Records: North Dakota State (15-16, 11-7 SL), South Dakota (12-19; 7-11 SL)
Location: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls, S.D.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A back-and-forth game saw No. 3 North Dakota State ultimately top No. 6 South Dakota, 70-68, to send the Bison to the Summit League Tournament semifinals.
Grant Nelson led the way for NDSU with 23 points and 11 rebounds in a game that saw 10 ties and 12 lead changes. Tajavis Miller (12 points) hit a right-handed runner in the lane with 15 seconds left that gave the Bison the lead for good.
“A lot of credit to that entire locker room,” Dave Richman said after the game.
Early on it seemed the Bison might cruise to their sixth straight trip to the league tournament semifinals. Nelson and NDSU were dominant around the basket in the first half, doubling up an undersized Coyotes team in points in the paint (20-10) as the Bison took a 33-25 lead into the break.
But the tide would turn.
The Coyotes went on an 8-2 spurt beginning at the 18:38 mark that tightened the game. USD was at its offensive best as it got back into the game, with its guards aggressively attacking the basket. A.J. Plitzuweit (17 points) and Kruz Perrott-Hunt (16 points, 6 assists) controlled the tempo of the game as the Coyotes gained the upper hand.
Most impressively, a rotating string of defenders kept Nelson quiet as USD made its comeback, with the star forward scoring just one point over the first 8:20 of the second half.
“We came storming back in the second half,” USD coach Eric Peterson said after the game. “I’m confident with this team on offense.”
Perrott-Hunt gave the Coyotes a 68-67 lead on a free throw with just under a minute left. USD would follow that up with a defensive stand as Plitzuweit bodied Jacari White on a drive to the basket, but an errant Coyotes pass would give the ball back to the Bison.
From there, Miller hit a runner in the lane to give the Bison a 69-68 lead, the latest in a line of big shots from the freshman guard throughout the game. Plitzuweit would get a chance at the end but his halfcourt heave came up empty, sending a young Bison team with seven players making their Summit League Tournament debut to the semifinal.
“The whole team is different, we’re different but we’ve got the same program and we’re sticking to what’s been working for years,” Nelson said.
NDSU will face South Dakota State in Monday’s second semifinal at 8:30 p.m. c.t.
Turning Point
The Coyotes had gotten a stop holding a 68-67 with under 30 seconds, but confusion bringing the ball up the court led to Perrott-Hunt’s turnover on an errant pass. This gave the ball back to the Bison with 26.2 seconds left, and Miller would score what would ultimately be the game winner.
Inside the Box Score
- Nelson recorded his 11th double double of the season.
- Perrott-Hunt’s six assists were a season high, and the second highest tally of his career.
- Tasos Kamateros (11 points, 12 rebounds) recorded his first double-double of the season.
- Despite an advantage early for the Bison, each team ended up scoring 32 points in the paint.
News & Notes
- The teams split their pair of regular season games, with each winning on its home court.
- Similarly, the Bison split their games with their upcoming opponent – the Jackrabbits – with each team holding serve on its home arena.
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