| Game 2: South Dakota State vs. Long Beach State | |
| Date and Time | Friday, November 8 – 8:15 p.m. CT |
| Location | Brookings, South Dakota |
| Site | First Bank & Trust Arena |
| Television | Midco Sports |
| Stream | Summit League Network |
| Audio | GoJacks.com |
| Live Stats | GoJacksLive.com |
| Tickets | JackrabbitTickets.com |
| South Dakota State | Game Notes | Home Page |
| Long Beach State | Home Page |
South Dakota State makes its official debut in the newly-renovated First Bank & Trust Arena on Friday when the Jackrabbits take on Long Beach State at 8:15 p.m. The game is part of a doubleheader with the SDSU women’s squad which hosts Creighton at 6 p.m.
The Jackrabbits are coming off an 80-73 season-opening victory over McNeese State in the Field of 68 Showcase held in the Sanford Pentagon on Monday. The win for SDSU came over a Cowboy team that was the Southland Conference champions a season ago while it advanced to the NCAA Tournament. McNeese State was receiving votes in the AP Top 25 Poll last week.
The Jacks received contributions from a variety of newcomers. Redshirt freshman Joe Sayler paced SDSU in scoring with 18 points on 7 of 13 from the field and 4 of 7 from 3-point range. His point output was the most by a freshman in their first collegiate game since a 19-point performance from Reed Tellinghuisen in 2014.
SDSU’s Sayler was joined by three other true freshmen in Owen Larson, Stoney Hadnot and Jaden Jackson with all three playing at least 16 minutes in the win. Larson scored 14 points in 34 minutes and hit a 3-pointer with 42 seconds left against the Cowboys to seal the win. Hadnot had a near double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Jackson hit three 3-pointers.
Senior Oscar Cluff made his mark with a double-double in his first appearance as a Jackrabbit. Cluff played a career-high 35 minutes while he scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. His rebound total was the most by a Jackrabbit since the fall of 2021 when Baylor Scheierman had multiple 14-plus rebound performances.
SDSU faces a formidable foe in its home opener when it faces Long Beach State. The Beach advanced to the NCAA Tournament a season ago by claiming the Big West Championship. The Jacks haven’t won their first two games of the season since the 2019-20 campaign.
The Beach are led by first-year head coach Chris Acker. LBSU is 1-0 after a 93-48 win over La Verne. The Beach were led by 20 points from Devin Askew and a double-double by Derrick Xzavierro.
LIGHT SHOW BEGINS IN FIRST BANK & TRUST ARENA
The Jackrabbits will once again feature a pregame light show during the team introductions. Fans will not only witness this spectacular display, but also be a part of the action! Visit this link to be prepared prior to attending the doubleheader in-venue.
COVERAGE INFORMATION
Tickets for the game are available prior to the contest at JackrabbitTickets.com. The matchup between the Jackrabbits and Beach will be televised on Midco Sports and will streamed on The Summit League Network Powered by Midco Sports. Fans can watch on summitleaguenetwork.tv or on The Midco Sports Plus app with a subscription. Every SDSU men’s basketball game can be heard on the Jackrabbit Sports Network, at GoJacks.com.watch or on the Varsity App. To keep up with the Jackrabbits, follow along with the program on their social media accounts @GoJacksMBB or visit GoJacks.com.