USD Men's Basketball Drops 102-94 Decision Behind 15 Turnovers

South Dakota men's basketball committed 15 turnovers in a 102-94 loss to Northern Kentucky on Wednesday night. The ball control issues proved decisive despite the Coyotes shooting 51.7% from the field.

The game at Sanford Coyote Sports Center featured a high-scoring exchange that swung back and forth before Northern Kentucky pulled away. The Norse, who entered the contest as a 2-0 team, held the lead for the majority of the second half. They capitalized on South Dakota's defensive lapses to secure their second straight victory.

The contest began with frequent shifts in momentum. Seven lead changes occurred in the first six minutes. South Dakota held a 16-15 lead at the 14:51 mark of the first half after Jahni Summers converted a layup. Northern Kentucky responded with a 9-0 run that gave them a 24-16 cushion. The Norse never trailed again after that sequence. They led 52-47 at the halftime break.

Eric Acker recorded a double-double for Northern Kentucky with 22 points and 12 assists. Willie Foster added 22 points, including 18 in the second half. Senior Noah Pagotto led all scorers with 30 points. The Norse shot 65.5% from the field in the first half and 9 of 14 from three-point range over the full game.

South Dakota trailed by five points at the intermission. The Coyotes cut the deficit to one point twice in the early minutes of the second half. Cade Kelderman sank a jumper at the 15:26 mark to make the score 57-56. A three-pointer by Foster on the ensuing possession triggered an 18-6 run for Northern Kentucky. That sequence gave the visitors a 13-point lead with 11:33 remaining.

Gabrielius Jokubauskas extended the Northern Kentucky lead to 90-74 with a three-pointer in the 5:53 remaining. South Dakota mounted a final push to close the gap to 96-92 with under 40 seconds on the clock. The Norse scored six of the last eight points to finish the game. The Coyotes finished 1-1 on the season.

Coach Eric Peterson cited the difficulty of guarding Pagotto, who functions as a small-ball five. He noted that the team needed to improve its defensive structure against a group with three players scoring over 22 points. Peterson stated that the team scheduled the game to identify areas for improvement in the non-conference schedule.

Northern Kentucky is a member of the Horizon League. The team was selected to finish fifth in the league's preseason coaches poll. The win improves their record to 2-0. They have now defeated a team that shot over 50% from the floor.

South Dakota will host Cal State Fullerton next. The Titans are picked to finish eighth in the Big West Conference. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday in Vermillion. Peterson said the team has a short window to make adjustments before the next opponent arrives.