Coyotes run winning streak to <br />seven with 77-61 win over St. Olaf

Coyotes run winning streak to
seven with 77-61 win over St. Olaf The University of South Dakota men's basketball team extended its winning streak to seven games with a 77-61 win over St. Olaf College Tuesday night, Dec. 30, at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. USD (10-5) moved to 7-0 at home this season, thanks to a balanced offensive attack and a key second-half run. Dylan Grimsley (Sr., Sioux City) paced the Coyotes with a season-high 21 points. Louie Krogman (Fr., White River) added 20 points, while Jesse Becker (Sr., Plymouth, MN) collected 18. Roman Gentry (Jr., Sioux City, IA) contributed a season-high 12 points off the bench for the Coyotes. USD was down, 47-46 with 12:22 to go before going on a crucial run to turn the momentum the Coyotes' way for good. That run was a 19-3 spurt that turned the one-point deficit into a 65-50 Coyote lead with 6:06 left. Sparking the Coyotes during that stretch was Grimsley with nine points and Krogman with six.?USD shot 56 percent (14-of-25) in the second half, including 3-of-5 (60 percent) from three-point range, as it stretched its lead to 18 points. In the first half, the game was close with USD holding a 31-28 lead at the halftime break. The starting backcourt tandem of Becker (12 points) and Krogman (nine points) combined for 21 of the Coyotes' 31 first-half points. USD shot 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from the field in the first half, compared to 34.4 percent (11-of-32) for St. Olaf. The Coyotes shot 5-of-11 from three-point range and held a 20-16 edge on the boards. Tyler Cain (Jr., Rochester, MN) had seven rebounds in the opening half for USD. Gentry had four points, two blocks and two steals in the first half. For the game, Cain finished with 12 rebounds, while Steve Smith (Sr., Sioux Falls) had eight and Grimsley six. Becker led USD with five assists, while Gentry led the Coyotes with three points and three blocks.