Griz cap road trip at South Dakota

Sunday, November 27

Vermillion, S.D.

Noon (MT)

Montana

South Dakota

11/26/2016 7:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Montana Sports Information

On their way back to Missoula from the Virgin Islands and Oxford, Miss., the Montana Grizzlies will cap off their nearly two-week road trip with one last stop in Vermillion, South Dakota, on Sunday to face USD.

The Griz (1-5) and Coyotes (5-2) are set to tip off at noon (MT) on Sunday, Nov. 27, in the return game of a home-and-home series that began in 2014 at Dahlberg Arena.

Montana was playing without three starters in that game and missed a handful of crucial three-point shots in the last two minutes of the contest, and the Coyotes outscored UM in the late-going for the 67-62 victory.

WHERE TO WATCH: South Dakota will have a video web stream on GoYotes.com. "Voice of the Griz" Riley Corcoran will bring you the radio call statewide on the Montana Grizzlies Radio Network and its flagship station KGVO in Missoula and online at GoGriz.com/watch. USD will also provide live stats at GoYotes.com.

Montana is 3-1 all-time against the Coyotes.

LAST TIME OUT: The Griz arrive in Vermillion looking to break into the win column for the second time this season after a comeback attempt against the SEC's Ole Miss Rebels fell short 86-81 on Thanksgiving Day in Oxford.

True Freshman Sayeed Pridgett continued to prove he will be a force for Grizzly opponents to deal with, scoring 19 points off the bench, the fourth time he's scored in double figures in six games.

South Dakota returns home to the brand-new Sanford Coyote Sports Center (6,000) after going 2-2 at the Gulf Coast Showcase tournament in Southwest Florida to finish fourth in the 16-team field.

The 'Yotes picked up wins over Doane University (80-46) in the opening game and Kent State (80-77) before falling to eventual champions Houston (85-58) and Hofstra (65-57) in the third/fourth place game.

GRIZ TRACKS: After six games, redshirt sophomore Ahmaad Rorie leads the Griz in scoring, averaging 15 points-per-game, putting in his career high of 21 points in the first game of the season against USC.

Right behind Rorie on UM's season scoring list is Pridgett, who is averaging 11.3 PPG, and is also the team's second-leading rebounder for the Griz, pulling down an average of 3.8 boards-per-contest.

To few Griz fans surprise, junior Fabijan Krslovic is leading UM in rebounds so far this season, averaging 8.2 boards-per-game and pulling down 11 rebounds against Ole Miss (just one shy of tying his career high). The Sydney, Aus., native has led the Griz in rebounds in all but one game so far this season, UM's 68-47 win over Oral Roberts. His 8.2 RPG puts him at No. 5 amongst the Big Sky's top rebounders, and with an average of three offensive boards-per-game, Krslovic is tied at No. 3 in the league.

Among the top scorers in the Big Sky, Rorie and Pridgett are the only Grizzlies listed among the top-30, with Rorie tied at No. 9 and Pridgett coming in at No. 23. Pridgett is currently the second-highest scoring true freshman in the Big Sky.

Jared Samuelson, Montana's other breakout freshman star, is carrying the second-best field goal percentage in the Big Sky after six games, making over 63 percent (.636) of his 33 attempts from the field so far this year.

He and Pridgett (.556/No. 12) are the only two freshmen in the league on the top-15 list of players carrying the top field goal percentage.

The son of former Griz great Shawn Samuelson, Jared is also UM's third-leading scorer, averaging 8.2 PPG.

SCOUTING THE 'YOTES: At 5-2, South Dakota is off to one of its best starts as a D-I program (since 2008).

USD has four players averaging in double figures, led by senior Tyler Flack who is averaging 12.8 PPG followed by sophomores Matt Mooney (12.4 PPG) and Trey Burch-Manning (11.9), and junior guard Trey Dickerson (10.1).

The Coyotes replaced 78 percent of their scoring from last season, 74 percent of their rebounding and 90 percent of their assists.

Two of USD's five wins this season have come against NAIA opponents (Presentation and Doane), while the other three have come against D-I schools Drake, Bowling Green and Kent State.