GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands – A 13-0 scoring run late in the second half provided the difference in a 71-60 South Dakota State men’s basketball victory over Duquesne on Sunday, Nov. 24, in the opening round of the Cayman Islands Classic at John Gray Gymnasium.
SDSU and Duquesne were deadlocked after the first half of action. The Jackrabbits led by as many as six, 23-17, following a Matthew Mors 3-pointer with 7 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the half. The Dukes responded by taking a brief lead less than three minutes later before the two sides eventually went into the halftime break tied at 33.
The Jackrabbits outshot the Dukes 45-39% and had a 20-14 rebounding edge through 20 minutes, but Duquesne took advantage of 11 SDSU turnovers.
The Dukes scored the opening six points of the second half to go up 39-33. The Jackrabbits worked their way back into the contest, tying the score at 43 when Kalen Garry drained a 3-pointer with 15:21 to go.
Duquesne held a 51-49 lead with just under 10 minutes to play before South Dakota State went on a game-clinching scoring spree.
Joey Sayler sparked the 13-point scoring run with a 3-pointer while Oscar Cluff made up eight of the points during the stretch. The span lasted just over four minutes as the Jackrabbits jumped ahead 62-51.
The Dukes could only cut the deficit into single digits once more as the Jackrabbits pushed the margin back to double digits for good with three minutes to play.
South Dakota State improved to 5-1 overall with the victory. Duquesne dropped to 0-5.
NOTES
- South Dakota State was led in scoring by four-double digit scorers. Garry paced the Jacks with a season-high 20 points on a 7-for-10 clip from the field. He also was 5-for-7 from 3-point range as he grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists.
- Oscar Cluff recorded his fourth double-double of the season. He finished with 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with a game-high five assists.
- SDSU’s Mors scored a season-high 15 points. It was his highest point output since the 2022-23 season. Owen Larson scored 11 points and corralled eight rebounds.
- The Jackrabbits ended the contest with a 49-38% shooting edge. They also led on the boards behind a 37-28 margin.
UP NEXT
South Dakota State continues action at the Cayman Islands Classic on Monday at 12:30 p.m. CT when it takes on Boise State. The entire tournament is available to watch with a subscription to FloCollege.