With three players in double-digits and another impressive shooting performance (51%), the University of Sioux Falls carried their first half lead throughout the entirety of the game to record a 73-58 win over Black Hills State University Saturday night at the Donald E. Young Center in Spearfish, S.D. The Cougars improve to 14-8 and the Yellow Jackets fall to 9-13 on the year.

USF got off to a shaky start, as BHSU opened the game on a 7-0 run, but just like that the Cougars were right back in it. Following a Keith Cutler 3-pointer, USF took their first lead and by the 8:00 minute mark had completed an 18-4 run to go ahead, 18-11.

The Cougars went up by as many as 13 in the opening period and would head to the break with a 36-25 advantage.

USF shot the ball well in the first half where they connected on 50% of their attempts, while holding BHSU to 36%. USF saw seven different players mark the scoring column before the break, as their bench accounted for 16 first half points.

The Yellow Jackets came out strong in the second half, opening the period with an 11-4 run to cut their deficit to four with just over 15:00 to play. BHSU stuck around and would come within four-points on three more occasions, with their latest surge coming near the 9:00 mark.

That is when USF settled in and knocked down four of their next five shots to claim a 62-51 lead with five to play.

USF converted 82% (9-11) of their free throws over the final five minutes to secure their second road win in two nights.

The Cougars recorded their second consecutive night shooting above 50% from the field. They limited the Yellow Jackets to 33% on the night.

USF held a 36-27 advantage on the boards. They also received a greater contribution from their bench, which outscored BHSU's 25-7.

BHSU had three players post double-figures. The Yellow Jackets leading scorer, Tommy Earl, finished 7-14 from the floor to lead BHSU with 16 points. Rob Johnson and Brody Brisk each added 12 points for the Yellow Jackets.

Skyler Bloch had another monster night for the Cougars. He went 11-18 from the field and finished a perfect 2-2 from downtown to post 26 points. Bloch also collected 11 rebounds to record his third double-double this season.

USF's backcourt also had another solid night out. Keith Cutler came off the bench to tally 16 points on 4-5 shooting from the floor and 6-7 at the line in 27 minutes of play. A.J. Holland added a notable stat line of 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.

The Cougars return home this weekend when they will host Minot State University Friday and Saturday.