DENVER, Colo. — Five Coyotes scored in double figures in a 93-87 win over the Denver Pioneers on Thursday night inside the Magness Arena.
It was the sixth win in seven games for the Coyotes (15-8, 6-3 Summit), who won their first conference road game and pulled to within a game of South Dakota State’s Summit League lead.
Heading into the game the Coyotes were one of 17 Division I schools that had five players average in double figures.
Triston Simpson was scoreless heading into the second half and sparked the Coyotes with 17 second-half points in the win while Stanley Umude led the Yotes with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting and pulled down 13 rebounds to record his fifth double-double of the season.
The win extends USD’s four-game win streak and gives them a crucial road win to put them one game back of first-place South Dakota State in the League standings.
Denver (5-18, 1-8) was led by Ade Murkey with 28 points and six rebounds while Jase Townsend and Roscoe Eastmond finished with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Rounding out the double-figure scoring for the Yotes was Cody Kelley with 11 points and Tyler Peterson with 16 points. Tyler Hagedorn recorded 20 points, his 11th time reaching 20 or more points and third consecutive. Hagedorn continued his efficient shooting in the win going 4-of-5 from deep including a pair from the logo.
The Pioneers led by as many as 11 points in the first half including two different 7-0 runs throughout the first 10 minutes or so in the first half. Peterson and Simpson drew charges while Hagedorn and Umude came up with timely scores for the Yotes to help them finish the first half on a 15-4 run and entered the break tied at 41-41.
In the second half, a Simpson jumper gave him his first points of the night and the Yotes their first lead since early in the first half. USD and Denver were locked in a tight game until Umude turned the tables and scored the Coyotes’ next six points to 61-56 with just under 12 left to go.
A dagger from Hagedorn with 2:47 left gave the Yotes an 83-74 lead and a huge block from Peterson sealed the deal for South Dakota late.
South Dakota finishes up its two-game road trip against Omaha Sunday at noon. The Coyotes return back to the friendly confines of the Sanford Coyote Sports Center on Feb. 4 to host Peru State. USD with play four of its final seven Summit League games on the road.
