Preview: South Dakota Coyotes at Saint Thomas Tommies ST. PAUL, Minn. (Interstat) — A surging Saint Thomas looks to continue its best start to a Division I season when it hosts a struggling South Dakota team in a Summit League men’s basketball matchup Wednesday night at Schoenecker Arena. The Tommies (12-4) enter conference play riding a five-game winning streak, most recently outlasting Denver 92-88 on Sunday. They are a perfect 9-0 at home this season. The Coyotes (8-8) have lost two straight and are seeking their first true road win, having gone 0-6 in opponents’ arenas. Saint Thomas is powered by guard Nick Janowski, who is coming off a career-high 31 points in the win over Denver. Over his last five games, the junior is averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists, providing versatile offensive firepower. He is supported by a balanced lineup where Austin Herro (15 points) and Ben Oosterbaan (16 points) also scored in double figures in the team’s last outing. South Dakota, which opened league play with an 84-61 loss at North Dakota State on Dec. 31, will lean on guard Uzziah Buntyn. He leads the team in assists and has scored in double figures in three of his last six games, including a 17-point effort at Wyoming. In the loss to the Bison, Isaac Bruns led the Coyotes with 17 points. The Tommies’ high-powered offense, averaging 84.1 points per game, will test a South Dakota defense that has allowed 80.6 points per contest and gave up 106 in losses to Kansas State and Wyoming. Saint Thomas also boasts a significant rebounding advantage, averaging nearly six more boards per game than the Coyotes. This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the programs this month. They will meet again in Vermillion, South Dakota, on Jan. 24. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. EST Wednesday.