SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – For the first time in 22 years the Sioux Falls Storm will play a home opener with someone other than Kurtiss Riggs as their head coach.
In a way things will come full circle on Sunday since the Storm’s new head leader, Andre Fields, was playing for the then-first year head coach Riggs back in 2003.
The former South Dakota Coyote went on to have a stellar career for the Storm from 2003-2009, winning four championships and getting his jersey retired before moving into coaching and becoming the team’s defensive coordinator.
Now he’s assumed the reigns after Riggs stepped away following the end of last season. Though Andre kept the rest of the coaching staff from last season intact the roster has been almost completely turned over. That in part has led to a tough start to Fields’ first season at the helm so far with Sioux Falls losing a pair of one score games on the road.
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Despite the 0-2 start Andre is still confident that he’s got a team that will contend for a playoff bid and championship as the season goes along.
It’s also clear his players aren’t pressing since they believe in a coach who knows what they’re going through having been in their shoes as a player himself.
The Storm host the Tulsa Oilers (1-1) in their first home game of 2024 on Sunday at 3:00 PM inside the Denny Sanford Premier.
The Western Michigan Broncos (2-3) hit the court against the South Dakota Coyotes (4-1) on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN+. Below, we analyze the Western Michigan vs. South Dakota odds and lines around this game.
The Broncos and the Coyotes meet with no line currently set for the matchup.
Western Michigan has compiled a 2-2-0 record against the spread this season, while South Dakota is 0-2-0. The Broncos have gone over the point total in two games, while Coyotes games have gone over one time.
Here’s everything you need to prepare for Wednesday’s college basketball action.
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Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Western Michigan vs. South Dakota prediction
South Dakota 86, Western Michigan 71
Against the spread
Western Michigan has a record of 2-2-0 against the spread this season.
The 71.8 points per game the Broncos put up are the same as the Coyotes give up.
The Coyotes score an average of 86.0 points per game, 18.2 more points than the 67.8 the Broncos give up to opponents.
South Dakota is 0-2 against the spread and 4-1 overall when it scores more than 67.8 points.
Western Michigan’s record is 2-2 against the spread and 2-3 overall when it allows fewer than 86.0 points.
Players to watch
Western Michigan
Javaughn Hannah posts a team-best 12.0 points per game. He is also posting 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists, shooting 46.9% from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc with 1.0 made 3-pointers per game.
Owen Lobsinger is tops on his team in rebounds per contest (7.8), and also averages 11.0 points and 1.6 assists. At the other end, he posts 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocked shots.
Markhi Strickland is putting up 10.2 points, 1.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per contest.
South Dakota
Chase Forte tops the Coyotes in assists (3.6 per game), and produces 12.0 points and 2.2 rebounds. He also puts up 2.0 steals and 0.2 blocked shots.
Isaac Bruns is posting team highs in points (14.0 per game) and assists (0.4). And he is delivering 4.4 rebounds, making 54.5% of his shots from the floor and 27.3% from beyond the arc, with 1.2 treys per game.
Quandre Bullock is posting 9.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest, making 47.2% of his shots from the floor and 34.8% from beyond the arc, with 1.6 treys per game.
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(AP) — Aidan Bouman threw three touchdown passes, Charles Pierre Jr. and Travis Theis both ran for more than 100 yards and a touchdown and South Dakota held on to beat North Dakota 42-36 on Saturday.
Theis, who had 150 yards on 16 carries, scored on an 8-yard run early in the fourth quarter to make it 35-21. Then Pierre, who had 173 yards on 15 carries, broke loose for a 76-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to three touchdowns with 9:35 to play.
Simon Romfo scored on a 7-yard run and then found Bo Belquist for a 3-yard touchdown pass and threw a 2-point conversion with 23 seconds left.
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But the Coyotes (8-2, 6-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference), the No. 5 team in the FCS coaches poll, recovered the onside kick to set up a showdown with top-ranked North Dakota State next week.
Sawyer Seidl scored on a 51-yard run to give North Dakota a 7-0 lead after one quarter. Romfo threw short touchdown passes to Nick Kupfer and Quincy Vaughn and Bouman matched that, hitting Carter Bell and Quaron Adams, but the Fighting Hawks (5-6, 2-5) led 21-17 at the break.
South Dakota took the lead on a 53-yard Bouman-to-Pierre connection four plays into the second half.
Bouman was 15 of 21 for 190 yards as the Coyotes had 512 total yards. Romfo was 20 of 30 for 180 as North Dakota finished with 322 yards.
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