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MBB: Coyotes make it a weekend sweep of Denver

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VERMILLION, S.D. (GoYotes.com) — South Dakota point guard A.J. Plitzuweit scored 18 of his career-high 31 points in the first 10 minutes and the Coyotes buried a season-best 14 3-pointers in crushing Denver, 93-54, Saturday inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

Plitzuweit was 9-of-13 from the field including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and made 8-of-9 free throws. He surpassed his season-high of 24 points against Nebraska and his previous career mark of 26 set at the Division II level. Plitzuweit also pulled down six boards and had three assists.

Stanley Umude added 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds and Tasos Kamateros buried three triples on his way to a season-best 13 points. The Coyotes (3-6, 1-0) shot 52 percent from the field and were 14-of-26 from downtown for 54 percent.

Denver (1-7, 0-1) got 13 points from Tristan Green, but Jase Townsend, a preseason all-Summit pick who entered with a 20 points per game average, was stymied with just seven points on five shots. It was the first time Townsend failed to reach double digits this season. He held the nation’s 37th-best scoring average entering the weekend.

Credit the defense of Xavier Fuller and a Coyote squad that forced Denver into 20 turnovers. The Pioneers shot just 35 percent for the game (19-of-58) including an 8-for-26 effort from 3-point range.

South Dakota senior Stanley Umude posted game highs of 27 points and 11 rebounds while A.J. Plitzuweit added 19 points as the Coyotes completed a sweep of Denver with a 79-57 win inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center Sunday.

Umude was 10-of-14 from the field with four triples in game two en route to his third double-double of the season. Plitzuweit, coming off a career-high 31 in the series opener, added a game-high five assists and grabbed four rebounds Sunday.

Denver got 14 points from Sam Hines Jr., but the story once again was the Coyotes’ defense on the Pioneers’ preseason all-Summit guard Jace Townsend, who failed to score in double figures for the second straight game. Townsend entered the series averaging 20 points per game, but was 2-of-11 from the field and managed just eight points Sunday. Townsend totaled 15 points in the two games and Denver shot 32 percent from the field (35-of-107) for the series.

South Dakota (4-6) is 2-0 to begin Summit League play for the second time in four seasons while Denver (1-8) has lost eight in a row following a season-opening win against Division II Regis. The Coyotes travel to Kansas City (5-6) next week for two games against the Roos, who split two games at North Dakota this weekend.