Larson Honored as Coyotes Get Ready for a Pair of Summit League Road Games

As the South Dakota men’s basketball team hits the road for the second straight weekend of Summit League play, they do so with the conference's Player of the Month on their roster.

Tyler Larson is the Summit League's top performer for December, as the senior posted three double-doubles and averaged 17 points and eight rebounds in seven games during the month.

He scored 21 points or more three times, including a career-high 25-point performance in a game against Creighton, including a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime against the Bluejays. He also had 10 rebounds and four assists.

Larson’s seven double-doubles through 16 games lead the Summit League and rank 16^th nationally. He’s the Summit’s top rebounder (8 per game) and third leading scorer (16 per game).

In last Friday's conference opener at home with Omaha, Larson had a double-double - 17 points and 12 rebounds - as the Coyotes built a 12-point halftime lead and 18-point advantage in the second half, before falling 86-77to the Mavericks.

USD head coach Craig Smith told me it was a game of two very different halves:

The Coyotes rebounded on the road Sunday, as they mounted the second half comeback this time in a 74-69 win at Denver. It was a 22-2 run that brought USD back against the Pioneers.

Coach Smith says the game felt very familiar to the Omaha game:

This week, the Coyotes play just once - Saturday at Fort Wayne, the team picked to win the Summit League in the pre-season polls, but who stands 0-2 after the first weekend of play.

The Mastodons are led by senior forward Steve Forbes, who has four double-doubles this season, and senior guard Joe Edwards, one of the top 3-point shooters in the conference:

Tipoff is 6:00pm Saturday in Fort Wayne.