VERMILLION, S.D. – South Dakota State basketball overcame a tough first quarter to power past South Dakota Saturday evening, 70-55, as part of the Interstate Series presented by First Interstate Bank.
The Jackrabbits improve to 17-5 on the season and 9-0 in conference games. SDSU has won 11 straight games this season and 40 consecutive regular-season Summit League games dating back to January of 2022.
Brooklyn Meyer led all players with 22 points, her fourth game this year with at least 20. She went 10-for-15 from the floor and tallied nine rebounds and two blocks, also team highs.
Paige Meyer and Ellie Colbeck contributed 15 points apiece for the Jacks. Paige Meyer led the team with five assists and added four rebounds and a steal. Colbeck’s entire scoring output came from beyond the arc as the sophomore drained 5-of-7 3-point attempts for her career high.
Tori Nelson and Mesa Byom each had a big game on the glass, corralling eight and seven rebounds, respectively. Byom added six points and four assists while Nelson scored five points and had two helpers. Madison Mathiowetz scored four points and tallied a pair of steals.
The Jackrabbits trailed the Coyotes 15-7 after 10 minutes of action but bounced back in the second to lead 29-25 at halftime. Down 25-17 with less than four minutes remaining in the half, the Jacks put together a 12-0 run into the break. Colbeck sparked the run with a 3-pointer, while Nelson contributed all five of her points in the stretch and Brooklyn Meyer and Byom added a layup apiece.
SDSU scored eight of the first 11 points in the second half, stretching its lead to nine at 37-28. The Coyotes came only within four the rest of the period and the Jacks led 52-41 with 10 minutes left to play. A 9-0 run late in the fourth – book-ended by Colbeck treys – put the Jacks up 20 before the Coyotes scored the final five points of the contest.
After shooting 23 percent in the opening quarter the Jacks shot at least 50 percent in each of the last three periods. The squad finished the game 46 percent from the floor and 38 percent from deep.
Natalie Mazurek scored 17 points for South Dakota, one shy of her career high. Grace Larkins tallied 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. As a team, USD shot 35 percent.
NOTES
- Saturday was the 100th all-time meeting between these teams. South Dakota State holds a 65-35 series record.
- Following Saturday’s contest, Brooklyn Meyer ranks seventh in the Summit League in scoring (16.2 PPG), fourth in rebounding (7.1 RPG), fourth in field goal percentage (.533) and first in blocks (1.9 BPG) for conference games.
- Ellie Colbeck’s five 3-pointers is the most in a game for a Jack since Haleigh Timmer hit five triples against Oral Roberts during the 2023 Summit League tournament.
UP NEXT
South Dakota State is off until traveling to Oral Roberts next Saturday.