SportsHub logo
Final · Nov 4Wed, Nov 4 · 8:00 PM ET

South Dakota Coyotes vs Northern Kentucky NorseFinal Score & Recap

South Dakota Coyotes

94–102

Northern Kentucky Norse

21+ · Bet responsibly

How the picks graded

Expert picks
4-2
67% on this game
Our pick
We passed
No bet, so nothing to grade.

Sas Insider won on this game

Now 5-2 on CBB picks over the last 30 days

Profile
Today's CBB picks

Every result above is graded in public: wins and losses

Expert picks for this game

6 verified handicappers picked South Dakota Coyotes vs Northern Kentucky Norse. Every graded pick is shown with its result. Records are CBB, last 30 days.

  • Sas Insider

    5-2 · 71.4%

    +$267
    Record
    Win %
    Profit
    TotalTOTAL o158½-108 (SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES vrs NORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE)Won

  • Pro Picks - James

    6-3 · 66.7%

    +$262
    Record
    Win %
    Profit
    SpreadNORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE -2.5 -112Won

  • GA Algorithm

    1-0 · 100.0%

    +$100
    Record
    Win %
    Profit
    MoneylineNORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE ML -143Won

  • Mason Carter

    0-1 · 0.0%

    -$105
    Record
    Win %
    Profit
    TotalTOTAL u162½-105 (SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES vrs NORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE)Lost

  • Keylor Santos

    2-4 · 33.3%

    -$231
    Record
    Win %
    Profit
    TotalTOTAL u162½-112 (SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES vrs NORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE)Lost

  • Knup Sports - POTD

    10-12 · 45.5%

    -$306
    Record
    Win %
    Profit
    TotalTOTAL o159½-110 (SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES vrs NORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE)Won

Where the experts landed

How many of the 6 handicappers on this game picked each market, and whether the best of them agree.

All experts

4 of 6 picked the total

Top 25% CBB experts

Fewer than 3 top-quartile experts picked this market.

Small samples are noisy: consensus is a signal, not a pick.

Recap · Wed, Nov 4

South Dakota vs Northern Kentucky Recap: Final Score & Pick Result (Nov 4, 2026)

By SportsHub Model · Edited by Kyle Parker

Final · · Recap updated

South Dakota vs Northern Kentucky recap card: Northern Kentucky won 102-94, model pick NKU 58% won, 18-6 second-half run

Final: November 4, 2026 | Recap updated: November 4, 2026, 11:45 PM ET

Northern Kentucky won 102-94 at South Dakota on Wednesday night, pulling away with an 18-6 second-half run in which Willie Foster scored 16 points. Noah Pagotto led the Norse with 30 as they shot 63% from the floor. Our model favored Northern Kentucky (58%) with no edge; the Norse won. They move to 2-0, and South Dakota falls to 1-1.

South Dakota vs Northern Kentucky Final Score

Team1H2HFinal
South Dakota474794
Northern Kentucky5250102

How It Happened

The 8:00 PM ET tip drew 1,352 to the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion. Jahni Summers hit three early threes, but South Dakota's biggest lead was 3. After the Coyotes went up 16-15, Eric Acker started a 9-0 Norse run with a three, and Northern Kentucky led for 88% of the night.

South Dakota kept answering in the first half. Kajus Kublickas's layup with 51 seconds left made it 48-47, before a Pagotto floater and a B.J. Davis-Ray layup at the horn sent the Norse in up 52-47.

The Coyotes got within 57-56 on a Cade Kelderman hook with 15:26 to play. Then Foster took over: a three, an and-one, a driving layup, another three, a dunk and a third three, 16 of the Norse's 18 points in an 18-6 run that made it 75-62. A Davis-Ray and-one stretched the lead to 16 at 87-71.

South Dakota made it interesting late. A 6-0 burst cut a 93-80 deficit to seven, and Vince Buzelis's layup made it 96-92 with 38 seconds left. Northern Kentucky made its last six free throws to close it.

The Norse made 9 of 14 threes, scored 19 fast-break points to 9 and turned South Dakota's 15 turnovers into 21 points. Acker had 12 assists against one turnover.

Top Performers

PlayerTeamLine
Noah PagottoNorthern Kentucky30 pts (11-15 FG, 7-11 FT), 4 reb
Eric AckerNorthern Kentucky22 pts, 12 ast, 1 TO
Willie FosterNorthern Kentucky22 pts (3-5 3PT, 5-5 FT)
Jahni SummersSouth Dakota24 pts (4-9 3PT, 6-6 FT)
Vince BuzelisSouth Dakota20 pts (8-12 FG)

Model Check

There was no pick to grade: our preview called this no edge, so the return is $0. The model favored Northern Kentucky at 58% with low confidence, and the Norse won by 8.

What held up and what didn't:

  • Northern Kentucky's shooting. The preview doubted a road favorite that went 4 of 21 from three in its opener. The Norse went 9 of 14 from deep and 35 of 56 overall.
  • Ball security. Northern Kentucky turned it over 14 times again, but this time it won points off turnovers 21-16 after losing that battle 16-2 to UTEP.
  • Home court. South Dakota's 12-5 home mark last season didn't show up; the Coyotes led for 10% of the game.
  • The whistle, our swing factor. The teams combined for 50 fouls. Northern Kentucky went 23 of 32 at the line, South Dakota 17 of 21.
  • Ethan Elliott didn't play again.

The preview also passed on the total, which went well over.

Betting Results

  • Moneyline: Northern Kentucky won. The preview listed the Norse at -144 to -150.
  • Spread: Northern Kentucky was a 2.5-point favorite and won by 8, so the Norse covered.
  • Total: 196 points, over the 161 to 162.5 posted in the preview.

SportsHub Basketball Handicappers: Oct 28–Nov 3

The top of the basketball-wide board for the week before Wednesday:

HandicapperRecordNet ($)ROI
Coach Rick8-3+$48039.7%
Bobby Babowski5-1+$38257.0%
Pro Picks - Mike16-12+$2849.3%

SportsHub handicappers went 209-213-4 on basketball over those seven days. See every record on the SportsHub handicappers leaderboard.

What's Next

Northern Kentucky is 2-0 and South Dakota 1-1.

  • Northern Kentucky: visits Texas A&M on Friday, November 6, 8:00 PM ET (SECN+), then Saint Louis on Tuesday, November 10, 8:00 PM ET (ESPN+).
  • South Dakota: hosts Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, November 7, 2:00 PM ET (Summit League Network, Midco Sports Plus).

More: College basketball picks · College basketball · Handicappers · Weekly picks results

Get Our Top Handicappers' Picks

Every pick timestamped and graded in public.

Get Free PicksSee Pricing

Pregame preview

South Dakota vs Northern Kentucky Prediction, Picks & Odds (Nov 4)

By SportsHub Model · Edited by Kyle Parker

The 20-second version

  • No edge: our model gives Northern Kentucky a 58% win chance, below the 59–60% implied by its -144 to -150 moneyline.
  • Northern Kentucky went 30-of-33 at the line but 4-of-21 from three in its 84-76 opening win over UTEP.
  • South Dakota went 12-5 at home last season; Northern Kentucky went 7-8 on the road.
  • The line opened Norse -1.5 with a 159.5 total; it's now -2.5, with the total at 161 to 162.5.

Northern Kentucky (1-0) visits South Dakota (1-0) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, streaming on Summit League Network and Midco Sports Plus. The Norse are 2.5-point road favorites across licensed books (-144 to -150 on the moneyline), and the total has climbed from 159.5 to 161–162.5. Two rebuilt rosters with one game of tape each: no edge here — our model has Northern Kentucky at 58%, a hair under the market.

How these teams got here

South Dakota went 16-16 last season, scoring 79.6 points per game and allowing 80.2. The Coyotes were a different team in Vermillion (12-5 at home) than away from it (3-10 in true road games). Monday's opener was a 95-57 rout of Mount Marty: 53% shooting, 31-of-41 at the line, a 42-19 rebounding edge and a lead that reached 38. Nobody played more than 19 minutes, so the real rotation is still a guess.

The roster churned. Jordan Crawford, Cameron Fens and Uzziah Buntyn (14.4, 14.4 and 12.1 points per game last season) are no longer listed. Vince Buzelis (7.1 points last season) is the main returner, and he opened with 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Northern Kentucky went 20-14 last season, scoring 83.1 and allowing 77.5, with a 7-8 road record. Darrin Horn's turnover was even heavier: none of last season's top five scorers, led by Donovan Oday at 18.6 points, is on this year's ESPN roster. The new group still opened with an 84-76 win over UTEP on Monday and led for 85% of the game.

The schedule pulls both ways. Northern Kentucky travels to Texas A&M on Friday after this one, and South Dakota hosts Cal State Fullerton on Saturday.

Free throws vs. ball security

The Norse beat UTEP from the line. They went 30-of-33 on free throws while shooting 4-of-21 from three. Freshman guard Willie Foster scored 24 with 10 rebounds (9-of-10 at the line), and senior forward Noah Pagotto added 19 points and 12 boards on 5-of-6 shooting. Eric Acker ran the offense with 16 points and five assists, but also six turnovers.

That's the soft spot. Northern Kentucky turned it over 14 times to UTEP's seven and was outscored 16-2 in points off turnovers. South Dakota's defense took the ball away nine times against Mount Marty and turned 18 forced turnovers into 24 points. If the Coyotes can make this a transition game, the Norse's 3-point shooting has to show up.

South Dakota's scoring came from everywhere: Jahni Summers had 17 on 5-of-8, Kajus Kublickas 14 off the bench, Josiah Dotzler 12 and center Stef van Bussel 11 on 4-of-4. The caveat is the opponent. Mount Marty isn't UTEP, and South Dakota hasn't been tested yet.

Lineup questions

College basketball has no official injury report, so there's no status to list. One name to watch: Ethan Elliott, Northern Kentucky's only returner among last season's statistical leaders (5.1 points and a team-high 4.6 assists), didn't log a minute against UTEP, and no reason has been given. His return would ease the pressure on Acker's handle.

South Dakota's minutes were spread thin in a blowout, so how Eric Peterson tightens the rotation in a close game is an open question.

How the line has moved

Northern Kentucky opened at -1.5 with a -130 moneyline and a 159.5 total. It's now -2.5 at every licensed book, with the moneyline at -144 to -150 and the total at 161 to 162.5. The market has nudged toward the road team and toward points.

Prediction: no edge

No edge. Here's why:

  • Model vs market: our model has Northern Kentucky at 58% with low confidence. The best Norse price, -144, implies about 59%, so there's no gap to bet.
  • Second opinion: ESPN's matchup predictor is even tighter, with Northern Kentucky at 52.6%.
  • Home court: South Dakota was 12-5 at home last season; Northern Kentucky was 7-8 in road games.
  • Sample size: one game each, and South Dakota's came against Mount Marty.
  • Shooting profile: a road favorite that went 4-of-21 from three and relied on 33 free throws is hard to trust at -2.5.

Swing factor: whistles. Both teams lived at the line on Monday (33 and 41 attempts). If the officials let them play, Northern Kentucky's offense has to come from the perimeter.

The total: 162.5 lines up almost exactly with last season's combined scoring averages (83.1 + 79.6), so there's no play there either.

South Dakota Coyotes vs Northern Kentucky Norse FAQ

Who won South Dakota vs Northern Kentucky (Nov 4, 2026)?

Northern Kentucky won 102-94 at South Dakota on Wednesday night at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion. The Norse led for 88% of the game.

What was the final score of South Dakota vs Northern Kentucky?

Northern Kentucky 102, South Dakota 94. The Norse led 52-47 at halftime and outscored the Coyotes 50-47 in the second half.

Who did the SportsHub model favor in South Dakota vs Northern Kentucky?

Our model favored Northern Kentucky at 58% with low confidence and called the game no edge, so there was no pick to grade. The Norse won by 8.

Who was the top performer in South Dakota vs Northern Kentucky?

Noah Pagotto scored 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting for Northern Kentucky. Willie Foster added 22, including 16 in an 18-6 second-half run, and Eric Acker had 22 points and 12 assists.

When do Northern Kentucky and South Dakota play next?

Northern Kentucky visits Texas A&M on Friday, Nov. 6 at 8:00 PM ET (SECN+). South Dakota hosts Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2:00 PM ET (Summit League Network, Midco Sports Plus).

Why bettors trust SportsHub

Picks you can verify, not promises.

Every expert's record is built from picks we timestamp before the game and grade after it. Wins and losses, in public.

  • 78+

    verified experts across every sport

  • Locked

    before the game starts: no edits

  • Graded

    in public, every pick, every day

Hottest CBB experts

Last 30 days
  1. 1Knup Sports - POTD22 graded picks-$306
See the full leaderboard

Get free CBB picks in your inbox

Create a free account for free expert picks and our daily email. Unsubscribe anytime.