South Dakota men’s basketball dropped a one-point heartbreaker Wednesday night at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, falling to North Dakota 72-71. The result moves USD to 6-6 in Summit League play, putting the Coyotes in the 5th-place mix as the regular season turns toward the stretch run.

How it played out

USD looked the part early.

The Coyotes controlled the first half on both ends, building separation with a steady interior attack and energy plays on the glass, taking a 37-26 lead into the break. But North Dakota flipped the game after halftime, scoring 46 second-half points and turning the final 20 minutes into a possession-by-possession battle.

Even with the swing, USD had the game right where it wanted it late.

With under a minute to go, Vince Buzelis finished a strong look inside to pull the Coyotes within one, 72-71, and the defense delivered a stop to give USD one last window.

Multiple looks at the winner — and they just didn’t fall

That last sequence was as painful as it gets: the Coyotes generated multiple chances at a game-winning shot in the final seconds, including a late three and a point-blank attempt in the paint, but couldn’t convert.

It was the kind of finish where one bounce changes everything — and on this night, the bounce went the other way.

By the numbers (USD)

• Cameron Fens: 22 points, 12 rebounds
• Vince Buzelis: 17 points
• Jordan Crawford: 12 points
• Silas Bennion: 10 points, 7 assists
  

USD shot 45.0% overall, but the difference came from deep: the Coyotes finished 4-for-25 from three (16.0%), including 1-for-13 in the second half.

Bottom line

This one stings because it was there — at home, with a halftime lead, and with more than one shot to steal it at the buzzer. But the bigger picture hasn’t changed: at 6-6 in league play, USD is right in the hunt, and a lot is still on the table if the Coyotes keep defending and continue to generate those late-game chances.