Northern Kentucky keeps on rolling, taking down South Dakota 102-94 on Wednesday thanks to an absolute masterclass from Noah Pagotto, who torched the nets for 30 points. This team is now sitting pretty at 2-0, and Pagotto’s performance shows exactly why they are off to such a hot start.
Pagotto Leads the Charge for the Norse
Pagotto was simply electric on the court, hitting 11 of his 15 shots from the field and going 7 for 11 from the free-throw line. It felt like he couldn’t miss, and that kind of efficiency is why they cruised to victory. He wasn’t alone in lighting up the scoreboard, either. Willie Foster added 22 points of his own, shooting 7 of 14 overall, including a sweet 3 for 5 from deep and a perfect 5 for 5 from the line. Eric Acker matched Foster with 22 points, hitting 7 of 13 shots, 2 of 3 from downtown, and 6 of 9 from the charity stripe. When you’ve got three guys putting up those kinds of numbers, it’s tough to stop.
South Dakota’s Valiant Effort Falls Short
Even with the Norse’s scoring explosion, South Dakota didn’t just roll over. Jahni Summers was a force for the Coyotes, leading his team with 24 points and snagging two steals. Vince Buzelis also chipped in a solid 20 points and two steals, showing some real hustle. Kajus Kublickas rounded out their strong offensive showing with 15 points and dished out four assists. Despite their best efforts, which included a competitive 102-94 final score, the Coyotes drop to 1-1 on the young season.
Northern Kentucky looks to keep their perfect record intact when they hit the road to play Texas A&M this Friday. Meanwhile, South Dakota will be back home on Saturday to host CSU Fullerton, hoping to bounce back and get another win under their belt.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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