St Thomas (MN) defeats South Dakota 99-86

St. Thomas Tops South Dakota in Conference Showdown

The Schoenecker Arena was electric on Wednesday night as the St. Thomas Tommies hosted their conference rivals, the South Dakota Coyotes. In a tightly contested game, St. Thomas emerged victorious with a 99-86 win over the visiting Coyotes.

At halftime, the home team led by a margin of 53-31, setting the tone for what would be a closely fought second half. However, the Coyotes showed signs of life in the final minutes, cutting the deficit to just 13 points as the clock ticked down.

Despite their valiant effort, South Dakota ultimately fell short, unable to contain the Tommies' potent offense. Isaiah Johnson-Arigu led St. Thomas with 25 points, including 4 three-pointers, and 4 rebounds, while Nolan Minessale chipped in with 12 assists and 22 points.

For the Coyotes, Isaac Bruns paced South Dakota with 24 points on 2-of-3 three-point shooting, while Cameron Fens grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench. Trent Hudgens Jr. led the team with 4 assists and 17 points.

St. Thomas's balanced attack was a major factor in their victory, as they shot 63.0% from the field and 76.0% from the free throw line. The Tommies also outrebounded their opponents 26-31 but made up for it with a strong defensive effort that limited South Dakota to just 2 steals.

The advanced statistics told a similar story, with St. Thomas boasting an effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 70.3% and a true shooting percentage (TS%) of 72.5%. Meanwhile, the Coyotes struggled on the other end, shooting just 59.3% from the field and 64.7% from beyond the arc.

The win moves St. Thomas up in conference standings, while South Dakota falls to 0-2 in league play. For both teams, this matchup will be remembered as a crucial test of their mettle against a tough opponent on the road.