Cougars open NSIC 7-1 after weekend sweep of Wayne State and Augustana on the road  
For the second time (2017-18) in three seasons, USF opened the NSIC season with three straight wins. Then, the Cougars split with UMD and SCSU  and registered a 84-69 road win over SMSU with a 77-65 win at Wayne State and a 65-59 decision over city rival Augustana to open the NSIC schedule 7-1 for the first time as an NSIC member.  As a result, USF leads the NSIC and the South Division. At 11-3, the Cougars are off to the best start in the program since the 2009-10 season when they were 12-3 en route to a 25-11 season at the NAIA level. In that season, USF advanced to the NAIA National Tourney where they lost in the second round to Walsh University, 98-90.  

In the win on Jan. 3 at Wayne State, USF had a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds from junior forward Austin Slater plus a career-high 16 points from Trevon Adams, who knocked in four threes for the first time in his career at USF.  Chase Grinde supplied 10 points, four assists and four rebounds as USF outscored the Wildcats, 47-37 in the second half.  USF tied a season-high with nine made threes and had just six turnovers. Before 2,371 fans at the Sanford Pentagon, the Cougars defeated then No. 24 (NABC) Augustana, 65-59, as freshman guard Jack Thompson scored 20 points. Thompson hit a career-high five treys and was 7-of-10 from the field.  He also had five rebounds and a career-best four steals. USF also had 10 points from both Austin Slater, who added eight rebounds, and Trevon Adams. Teathloach Pal had eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds. After leading 34-31 at the break, the Cougars outscored Augustana, 31-28, on the Vikings' home floor. In the process USF held AU to its lowest point total on their home floor since 2012 when USF took a 70-58 win at the Elmen Center. 

In closing out 2019,, USF recorded an 84-69 road  NSIC win over SMSU in Marshall, Minn., as Thompson scored 18 points. For the first time ever, USF swept SMSU in a season series as a result of the 84-69 road win on Dec. 21. Since the two teams have been playing in the NSIC, the series is tied at 8-8 while SMSU holds the overall lead at 21-14 after USF's second straight win at Marshall, Minn. After a tight first half, USF had an 11-0 run midway through the second half to gain a six-point advantage (48-42, 13:20, 2nd half) and never relinquished the lead.  Thompson hit 6-of-12 shots from the field and knocked in 3-of-6 from three-point range while making all three of his foul shots. In addition, he had three assists and three steals with just one turnover in playing 39 minutes. Senior captain Devin Green surpassed double-digit points with 15 against SMSU. He made 4-of-6 field goals, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 at the foul line. Green had seven rebounds and an assist in 20 minutes of work. USF also had 14 points from junior forward Teathloach Pal, who made 6-of-11 field goals and added six rebounds with three assists, two steals and a block. Senior guard Milan Surlic also had 14 points. He hit 3-of-9 shots with two of them from three-point range and was 6-of-6 from the foul line. USF, which built as much as a 16-point lead (4:28, 2nd half, 78-62), led 33-32 at halftime before outscoring SMSU, 51-to-37 in the second half. The 51 points in a half was a season-high for USF.  

On Dec. 13, USF fell to UMD, 100-65, at the Stewart Center as the Cougars hit just 37.5 percent from the floor and made 24.1 percent from three. UMD hit 64.4 percent from the field and knocked in a sizzling 16-of-24 (15-of-20 at one point) from 3-point distance.  Against SCSU on Dec. 14, Austin Slater had 20 points to lead USF to a 73-67 win. USF, which led by as many as 16 points in the first half, hit 46.6 percent from the floor and had five triples while converting 14 foul shots. The Coo also limited SCSU to 39.3 percent shooting. 

Earlier on Nov. 21 at the Stewart Center, the Cougars won a 74-56 decision over SMSU in a game in which Head Coach Chris Johnson picked up his 200th career win at USF. In the win, Chase Grinde had 19 points and Will Lybaek added 14 points while Teathloach Pal added eight points and 13 rebounds for USF in a 74-56 win on Nov. 30.  USF hit just three triples but hit 23-of-46 field goals for 50 percent. In shots inside the circle, USF was 20-of-33 for 60.6 percent.  In USF's NSIC road openers, the Cougars finished 2-0 with a 78-71 win at Concordia St. Paul and a 86-81 victory against league favorite Minnesota State on Dec. 7 to move to 3-0 in league play. In the CSP win, Grinde had 20 points to lead the way while four other players scored in double digit points. Freshman Jack Thompson had 14 points as made four 3-pointers on seven attempts. Pal had his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 boards while blocking two shots and dishing two dimes. In the 86-81 win against Minnesota State, the Cougars led by 17 in the first half and had a double digit lead for much of the second half as they upended MSU for a second straight year at the Taylor Center. Grinde had 21 points and seven rebounds for USF, which also had 15 points from senior captain Devin Green and a career-high 14 from Troy Houghton who made all six of his field goal attempts.  In wrapping up the nonconference season, USF dropped a 94-69 decision to Minnesota Crookston as Harrison Cleary had 40 points. The loss dropped USF to 51-5 in nonconference game with Johnson. The loss to UMC ended USF's three game winning streak but USF has won four of five. In the setback to UMC, senior captain Devin Green had a career high in points with 16 and rebounds with seven.  

Also in the nonconference part of the schedule, Austin Slater had 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Cougars turned back Chadron State, 62-59, in the first game at the Dacotah Bank Classic. In game two, junior guard William Lybaek had 15 points, including a trio of threes, and Teathloach Pal added 14 points and eight rebounds as USF captured its third straight victory with a 77-70 decision over CSU-Pueblo, also at the Dacotah Bank Classic. 

In winning their 10th straight home opener, the Cougars handed Dakota State a 72-51 nonconference setback on Nov. 16 at the Stewart Center.  Earlier USF was 1-1 at the Central Region Challenge in Kansas City. USF defeated Lincoln University, 64-63, as Austin Slater had a career-high 22 points on Nov. 8. They also took a 62-55 loss to Pittsburgh State on Nov. 9 at the Central Region Challenge.

USF is 2-0 in January as they meet MSU and CSP