Summit League foes will battle when the South Dakota Coyotes (13-15) challenge the Denver Pioneers (13-14) at DakotaDome. Action gets underway at 3:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 21 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Coyotes enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out York (NE) 82-55 on Wednesday. With 14 points and 15 rebounds, Tre Burnette recorded his sixth double-double this season. The Pioneers are coming off a 62-58 loss against Oral Roberts on Friday. Marcus Byrd played well for Denver, posting 15 points, eight rebounds, and one assist.
When considering eFG%, the Pioneers figure to have a substantial advantage on the offensive end. They rank 20th in the nation in that category at 55.4%, whereas the suspect defense of South Dakota ranks 300th in eFG% defense with opponents connecting at a clip of 52.1%.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Pioneers won the first game 66-52. Byrd was a standout player in the game, producing 14 points, seven rebounds, one assist, three blocks, and two three-pointers.
The Coyotes have gone 13-15 Straight Up (SU) and 11-12 Against The Spread (ATS). South Dakota has some room to improve after their below-average performances recently. In the last 10 games, South Dakota has only averaged 64.4 points per game compared to the 76.5 they’ve averaged on the season. The Coyotes, sporting the 46th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.32), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Over their past 10 games, the South Dakota defense has been playing lights out, only allowing 66.9 points per game, well under their season average of 78.7.
In the other locker room, the Pioneers have records of 11-15 ATS and 13-14 SU. Offensively, the Pioneers have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 64.6 points per game by averaging 74.6 during that stretch. The Pioneers convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking 35th in the country at .473. The Denver defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking 25th in Division I with only 66.8 points allowed per road game. The Pioneers are in for a physical game against South Dakota. The Coyotes are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 21.6 fouls per game.
Following the Pioneers’ latest win over South Dakota, their SU record rises to 5-2 over South Dakota in their most recent games. The teams are even ATS, with a 3-3 record. Denver held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice in the last five game, while South Dakota wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – SouDak, ATS Winner – SouDak
Notes
The South Dakota Coyotes average 76.5 points per game, ranking 88th in the nation. The Denver Pioneers rank 37th in points allowed with 65.6.
South Dakota won its last game by a 27-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Denver is 1-1. South Dakota is 2-3 in blowouts this season.
South Dakota has an average field goal percentage of 46.6%. Denver is an abysmal 2-10 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The South Dakota Coyotes rank higher based on their field goal percentage (55th) than their effective field goal percentage (109th). The Denver Pioneers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (20th) than their field goal percentage (35th).
South Dakota ranks 53rd in assists, registering 15.7 per game. Denver performs worse at 112th with 14.4 assists per game.
The South Dakota Coyotes make an average of 6.6 steals per game. The Denver Pioneers are 6-7 when they allow 6 or more steals.
