Kendall Cutler

Orem, Utah – Junior guard Kendall Cutler scored six points in the final three minutes to lead the No. 1 seed University of South Dakota men’s basketball team to a 76-71 win over No. 5 Texas-Pan American in the semifinals of the Great West Conference Tournament on Friday in the McKay Center. USD’s 12th straight win moved it to 21-9 on the season and advanced it to tomorrow’s final against No. 2 Houston Baptist at 8:30 p.m. CT.

After trailing by double digits in the second half, the Coyotes clawed back into the contest and made a 10-2 run over the final 3:22 to grab the win. With USD down by one, junior guard Mitchell Bouie (Chicago, Ill.) made a bucket to give USD the lead, before Cutler (Brooklyn, N.Y.) notched the next six points, including two free throws with 14 seconds left. Freshman guard Jake Thomas (Racine, Wisc.) connected on two more free throws with four seconds left to ice the game.

“I can’t say enough about the toughness of this group of kids and the ability they have to play in close games and make tough shots,” USD Head Coach Dave Boots said. “This group has never quit all year. They have made incredible plays down the stretch.”

Thomas led all USD scorers with 19 points thanks in part to four treys, while Cutler chipped in 18, including a 6-of-6 showing from the free-throw line. Senior forward Tyler Cain (Rochester, Minn.) added 16 points and 17 rebounds, while senior guard Roman Gentry (Sioux City, Iowa) had four threes of his own for 13 points.

“Kendall is a winner,” Boots said. “When the game is on the line he can put that head down and get to the basket. He is a competitive kid and has been a great addition to us all year.”

It was a back-and-forth contest with six ties and four lead changes in the first 10 minutes, as neither team lead by more than four points. Gentry got the Coyotes on the board and Cutler hit two free throws, before Cain scored eight of USD’s next 10 points on layups to knot the contest at 15 apiece. UTPA (6-27) etched out an 8-0 run with back-to-back threes to go up 27-20 with 5:18 left, but Thomas responded with two treys of his own to draw the Coyotes back into the game.

The Broncs nailed two more threes in the final two minutes to take a 35-29 advantage into halftime. Cain notched eight points and 10 rebounds in the half, while Cutler had eight points of his own. Thomas added six points with two treys. USD shot 32 percent (10-of-31) in the half and 33 percent (4-of-12) beyond the arc, while UTPA connected on 47 percent (14-of-30) from the field and 46 percent (5-of-11) from three.

Cain hit a bucket and Gentry added a three early in the second half, but UTPA stretched the lead to double digits at 48-36 with 16:43 to go. Thomas hit a three to start a quick 6-0 spurt to draw the Coyotes within 49-44 at the 13:05 mark, but the Broncs were able to grow the lead back to double digits. The squads exchanged baskets over the next four minutes, until USD went on a 10-0 run. Thomas knocked down a three, Cutler squeezed in a layup and Gentry nailed a trey of his own after a Bouie offensive rebound to pull to 61-60 with 6:36 left. Two Cain free throws gave USD the lead, as the two teams swapped the lead before the Coyotes retook the lead for good on Bouie’s basket.