South Dakota walked into Hamilton Gym on Thursday night and traded punches for 20 minutes — then Denver turned the second half into a track meet the Yotes couldn’t keep up with.

After a one-possession game at the break (Denver 37, USD 34), the Pioneers erupted for 53 second-half points and cruised to a 90–70 win in Denver. 

The story: a tight first half, then a Denver avalanche

USD actually shot the ball well overall (50% from the field), but the margins that decide road games flipped hard after halftime. Denver shot 57.1% in the second half and drilled 5-of-8 threes after the break, stretching every small mistake into a run. 

Meanwhile, South Dakota’s perimeter output dried up late (1-of-5 from three in the second half) and the free throws didn’t bail them out (13-of-21 at the line after halftime). 

Carson Johnson was the difference-maker

Denver’s Carson Johnson looked like the best player on the floor, pouring in 32 points with 5 made threes. 

The Pioneers also got a near-flawless night at the stripe (23-of-25, 92%) — the kind of efficiency that ends comeback hopes early. 

What USD did well (and what it couldn’t sustain)

Cameron Fens battled all night — 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting — and Vince Buzelis added 19 as USD tried to hang around. 

But the depth gap showed up as the game stretched: Denver’s bench scored 22 while USD’s bench had 9.   

That matters even more on the road in Denver, where the altitude (and the quicker fatigue that can come with it) can punish a team that’s leaning heavily on a shorter rotation. When legs go, closeouts get late, fouls creep in, and suddenly you’re defending a confident home team and the free-throw line — exactly the recipe Denver used to separate.

Hidden swing: turnovers and “easy” points

One of the sneakiest numbers on the sheet: South Dakota scored 0 points off turnovers, while Denver got 10.   

On the road, you can’t afford to come up empty when the defense gives you chances — and you definitely can’t give the home team freebies in transition.

Bottom line

USD competed for a half, but Denver’s second-half shotmaking, free-throw precision, and deeper bench flipped the game from “coin flip” to “runaway.” Add in the realities of playing at altitude with limited depth, and the late fade makes an ugly kind of sense.