GAME NOTES: The Stanford Cardinal will continue play in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Sunday when the South Dakota Coyotes invade Maples Pavilion for a non-conference tussle.

South Dakota visited Utah Valley in its season opener on Friday and left disappointed following a 60-52 letdown. The loss came in the first game under head coach Craig Smith, who is the team's third coach in as many seasons, following David Boots and Joey James, respectively. The Coyotes finished 12-18 overall last season, the only one under James.

Stanford had a more pleasant beginning to the season, earning a 74-59 victory over Wofford at home on Friday. The Cardinal are still taking direction from Johnny Dawkins, who likely kept his job because of Stanford's Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament last spring. Dawkins has led his squad to at least 20 wins in three of six seasons at the helm, including a 23-13 finish last season.

Familiarity won't be an advantage for either team in this one, as Sunday's meeting will be the first ever between them.

The Coyotes dug themselves a hole in the first half against the Wolverines, and then couldn't find a way to make up the difference after halftime. They had only seven field goals in the first 20 minutes, while allowing Utah Valley to shoot 47.8 percent from the floor. They tightened up on defense in the second stanza, allowing only six field goals, but they managed only eight themselves, which was not enough to close the gap.

Tyler Larson and Brandon Bos were the only double-digit scorers for South Dakota in the contest. Larson finished with a team-high 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting. He left plenty of points at the free-throw line, however, sinking only 6-of-12 attempts. Bos was an efficient 7-of-8 at the charity stripe, but he made only 2-of-12 shots from the field to finish with 12 points in 33 minutes. Tre Burnette nearly had a double-double, posting nine points and as many rebounds. However, he also was lackluster in terms of shooting, making only 4-of-11 attempts. That included a 1-of-5 showing from 3-point range, which was part of an anemic 4-of-24 effort from the team as a whole.

As might be expected from a team that won by 15 points, Stanford was much more effective at the offensive end in its opener. The Cardinal sank 52.8 percent of their shots from the floor, although they did put forth a 1-of-8 showing from 3-point range. It didn't end up making a difference, as they had a 33-25 edge on the boards, while forcing 16 turnovers.

Stefan Nastic was tremendous in the victory, posting a career-high 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. He also tallied five rebounds and dished out a team- high four assists. Nastic was one of four players to reach double figures for Stanford. Anthony Brown also got in on the action, netting 16 points on 6-of-8 from the field. He also had the team's lone 3-pointer, while tying for the team-lead with six rebounds. Chasson Randle also had six boards to go with 12 points, although that came on a lackluster 4-of-13 shooting effort. Freshman Reid Travis proved he belonged in his collegiate debut, finishing with 14 points in 33 minutes. Dawkins did not rely on his bench much in the win, with Marcus Allen, the only reserve to play more than 10 minutes.

While another 26-point outburst from Nastic is unlikely, Randle should return to form in this one, giving Stanford plenty of firepower.