BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota State outscored North Dakota by nearly 30 points over the final 30 minutes of play on Sunday as the Jackrabbits defeated the Fighting Hawks, 80-61, in their Summit League opener inside Frost Arena.
North Dakota jumped out to an early advantage by making four of its first five 3-point attempts. The Fighting Hawks held an 18-8 edge with 12 minutes remaining on the clock in the first half when SDSU began to find its rhythm.
The Jackrabbits scored six points to get the margin into single digits and eventually tied the score at 28 on a William Kyle III layup with 4:46 on the clock. A steal by Matt Mims and transition layup briefly gave SDSU its first lead of the game, but a 3-pointer by UND’s Tyree Ihenacho put the Fighting Hawks back on top.
Three free throws by Kyle III, along with a 3-pointer by Zeke Mayo, made up the remainder of the half’s scoring to give the Jackrabbits the 36-33 advantage going into the second half.
The final 20 minutes of action in Frost Arena was all South Dakota State.
South Dakota State held North Dakota to 27.6% from the floor, including a 1-for-15 clip from 3-point range, during the second half to pull away. A 9-0 run, capped by a Luke Appel layup, pushed the Jackrabbit lead into double digits at 45-35 just over three minutes into the half. The Fighting Hawks made it a seven-point contest (66-59) with 4:36 left on the clock, but an alley oop from Mayo to Kyle III ended the threat.
The Jackrabbits improved to 7-7 overall and picked up their first conference victory of the season in front of a season-high crowd of 3,029 fans. The Fighting Hawks fell to 8-7 overall and 0-2 in league play.
South Dakota State won the rebounding battle 38-35 despite trailing 17-13 in the category at the half. The Jacks shot a season-high 54% from the floor while holding the Fighting Hawks to a 31% mark.
Notes
- Mayo led SDSU in the score column with 25 points on 8 of 13 shooting from the field. He also was 3-for-6 from 3-point range. Mayo led the Jackrabbits in rebounds (7) and assists (4) as well.
- Kyle III matched his career high with 20 points. He was 7-for-10 from the floor while he grabbed five rebounds.
- Joining them in double digits scoring were Appel (17) and Kalen Garry (10). Mims made his season debut for the Jackrabbits by playing 26 minutes and matched a team-high two steals with Mayo.
- Ihenacho and Tsotne Tsartsidze led the Fighting Hawks in scoring and boards with 16 points and nine rebounds apiece. They were joined in double figures scoring by Eli King who recorded 11.
- The Jackrabbits extended their winning streak over the Fighting Hawks to 16 consecutive victories. SDSU has won 20 of the last 21 meetings over UND dating back to the 2003-04 slate.
- South Dakota State is now 10-7 all-time in Summit League openers as a member of the conference. The Jacks are 171-82 all-time in Summit League action.
Up Next
South Dakota State plays its final two non-conference games of the season consecutively as part of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge. The Jackrabbits next head to Ogden, Utah, to take on Weber State. The matchup versus the Wildcats is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT in the Dee Events Center. SDSU returns to Brookings on Saturday, Jan. 6, when the Jackrabbits host Montana State as part of a doubleheader with the South Dakota State women’s basketball program in Frost Arena.