Coyote Men Fall to Denver in Summit League Basketball

Pioneers cruise past South Dakota 90-70 in conference matchup

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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The South Dakota Coyotes men's basketball team fell to the Denver Pioneers 90-70 in a Summit League conference game on Thursday night. Denver led 37-34 at halftime and pulled away in the second half, closing the game on a 12-0 run. Carson Johnson scored 32 points for the Pioneers, who shot 9-of-17 from 3-point range and 23-of-25 from the free throw line.

Why it matters

This loss drops the Coyotes to 14-14 overall and 6-7 in Summit League play, making their path to the conference tournament more difficult. Denver, meanwhile, improves to 14-15 overall and 7-7 in the league, keeping their postseason hopes alive.

The details

Cameron Fens led the Coyotes with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Vince Buzelis added 19 points and Jordan Crawford chipped in 12. USD shot 50% from the field but struggled at the free throw line, going 24-of-35. Denver was led by Carson Johnson's 32 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range.

  • The game was played on Thursday, February 20, 2026.

The players

Carson Johnson

A player for the Denver Pioneers who scored 32 points in the game.

Cameron Fens

A player for the South Dakota Coyotes who scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds in the losing effort.

Vince Buzelis

A player for the South Dakota Coyotes who scored 19 points in the game.

Jordan Crawford

A player for the South Dakota Coyotes who scored 12 points in the game.

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What they’re saying

“Carson Johnson scored 32 points and the Denver Pioneers cruised past South Dakota 90-70 on Thursday night in Summit League men's basketball action.”

— Legion Baseball, Author (mitchellrepublic.com)

What’s next

The Coyotes will visit Oral Roberts on Saturday, February 22nd, before closing out the regular season with a two-game homestand against Omaha and South Dakota State next Wednesday and Saturday.

The takeaway

This loss is a setback for the Coyotes' postseason hopes, but they still have opportunities to improve their conference standing in the final weeks of the regular season. The Pioneers, meanwhile, have kept their own playoff aspirations alive with this decisive victory.