South Dakota defeats Prairie View 97-85

South Dakota Takes Down Prairie View 97-85 in Home Non-Conference Showdown

The Sanford Coyote Sports Center was electric on Sunday as the South Dakota Coyotes hosted Prairie View A&M, with the home team emerging victorious 97-85.

At halftime, the Coyotes led by a 18-point margin, 54-36. However, their lead was reduced to just 12 points in the second half, and it would ultimately prove to be the difference maker. South Dakota's defense stiffened down the stretch, holding Prairie View to 43% shooting from the field and forcing 14 turnovers.

Isaac Bruns led the Coyotes in scoring with 29 points on 2-3 three-point shooting, including a trio of treys that helped his team build an early lead. Cameron Fens chipped in with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Jesse McIntosh dished out four assists to complement his six points.

For Prairie View, Dontae Horne was the primary scorer with 20 points on 52.9% shooting from the field, including two three-pointers. Lance Williams added nine points and six rebounds in a crucial performance off the bench.

The advanced statistics paint an interesting picture of this matchup. South Dakota shot 48.0% from the field, while Prairie View struggled to find its range at 52.0%. The Coyotes also outrebounded their opponents 40-31 and committed just 13 turnovers, compared to Prairie View's 14.

This win marks a significant non-conference victory for the Coyotes, who have now taken down two top-level programs in as many weeks. With this result, South Dakota moves into the national rankings, and the team is looking to continue its momentum heading into Big Sky Conference play.

For Prairie View, the road trip was just that – a road trip – but it proved to be a challenging one. The Panthers will look to bounce back on the road against a tough schedule in the coming weeks.

The final margin of 12 points may not seem like much, but it's clear that this game had significant implications for both teams' season trajectories. South Dakota's win serves as a statement of intent, while Prairie View must regroup and refocus in preparation for their next challenge.