BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota State trailed at one point in the second half after leading by as many as 15, but the Jackrabbits were tough down the stretch to close out a 75-66 victory over Kansas City in Summit League men’s basketball at Frost Arena on Thursday.
SDSU and Kansas City each started slow offensively before either team hit their stride from the field.
The Jackrabbits were the first team to complete a big run. Trailing 20-15, a Kalen Garry jumper with 7 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the opening half jump-started a 20-0 scoring run for the Jacks. By the time William Kyle III scored on a layup with 1:42 left in the first half, SDSU was ahead 35-20.
Kansas City stuck with South Dakota State late in the half, scoring six of the final seven points ahead of the break, to trim the margin to 36-26 at halftime.
SDSU led by 15 following a Luke Appel layup at the 17:26 mark of the second half before the Roos made their bid for a comeback.
Jamar Brown scored 13 of his team-high 17 points in the second half, while Kansas City went 9 of 17 (52.9%) from 3-point range, as the Roos cut into the deficit. An eight-point scoring spree got the margin back into single digits and an eventual Brown 3-pointer with 5:53 to go gave the Roos a 64-63 edge.
The Jackrabbits got the Frost Arena crowd into it late and outscored the Roos 12-2 over the game’s final five minutes.
Kyle III accounted for three consecutive points before a Jeff Ngandu dunk tied the score at 66 with 2:46 remaining. SDSU’s next possession saw Appel hit a jumper after an offensive rebound to put the Jacks ahead at 68-66. The Jackrabbits came up with a defensive stop and Matt Mims was fouled on the rebound. He went to the free throw line and hit both his free throws, pushing SDSU’s advantage up to 70-66.
Another defensive stop by SDSU eventually led to Zeke Mayo converting on a layup with 53 seconds to go and making it a 72-66 score. Two more Mims free throws, along with one made at the charity stripe by Charlie Easley, helped SDSU wrap the matchup on a 9-0 run during the final 2:15 of action.
South Dakota State picked up its third straight victory to improve to 12-9 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Kansas City fell to 8-13 and 2-4 against Summit League opposition.
Notes
- The Jackrabbits outscored the Roos 48-14 in the paint. SDSU also was 17 of 24 (70.8%) from the free throw line while Kansas City was 3 of 6 at the charity stripe.
- SDSU was held to 2-for-11 from 3-point range with both shots being made by Mims. Kansas City went 15 of 38 (39.5%) from deep in the contest. The Jacks outshot the Roos 49.1%-36.4% on the night from the field.
- Easley recorded the first double-double of his college career by scoring 11 points and grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds. He also had three assists and two steals for the Jackrabbits.
- Appel matched his season high of 19 points for a game high. He was joined in double digits by Mims – who registered a season-high 15 points – and Kyle III (13). Mayo had a team-high four assists while Kyle III had three blocks.
- Brown led Kansas City in scoring while Cameron Faas recorded 11 points and Courseault added 10.
Up Next
South Dakota State hits the road for its next contest. The Jackrabbits travel to Tulsa, Okla., to face Oral Roberts in the Mabee Center at 7 p.m. on Saturday.