The Sanford Pentagon will host the University of South Dakota and UNLV men’s basketball programs in a regular-season game Dec. 13 on Heritage Court.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Tickets go on sale May 29 at ticketmaster.com.
“We continue to look for ways to bring the highest level of competition to the region and the Sanford Pentagon,” said Eric Larsen, general manager of the Sanford Sports Complex. “Our latest match-up provides USD with an in-state game against one of the winningest programs in NCAA Division I history in UNLV.”
USD went 12-18 last season and finished fifth in The Summit League at 6-8. The Coyotes are under new leadership in 2014-15; Craig Smith, a former Nebraska assistant who helped the Huskers to the NCAA tournament this past season, was hired in March.
UNLV posted a 20-13 record in 2013-14 and tied for third in the final Mountain West Conference standings (10-8). The Runnin’ Rebels have appeared in the NCAA tournament 20 times, most recently in 2012-13. Head coach Dave Rice has signed three players for the upcoming season who appeared on ESPN’s list of top 100 high school basketball recruits, including Golden Valley, Minn., native Rashad Vaughn (No. 19). “We are excited to get a chance to play in the Sanford Pentagon,” said Rice. “It will allow us to continually expand the UNLV basketball brand as a national program. It will also give us a chance to have incoming freshman Rashad Vaughn play close to home in front of friends and family. We try to do this for all of our players during their careers
. Coach Ryan Miller is also from SD, and it was important to him we bring the Rebels to his home state.” The Sanford Pentagon has hosted several college basketball games, including a regular-season men’s meeting between the University of Wisconsin and St. John’s University last November.
The USD-UNLV game is one of several college basketball games on the Pentagon slate for 2014-15. On Nov. 18, Wichita State University and the University of Memphis are scheduled for a regular-season men’s basketball meeting.
