MARTIN, Tenn. – South Dakota State basketball topped UT Martin, 55-38, Saturday afternoon at the Elam Center. Up just three at the halftime break, the Jacks used an 11-0 start to the third quarter to pull away from the Skyhawks and move to 2-1 on the season.
Four Jackrabbits scored during the 11-point stretch, which was capped by an and-one bucket from Mesa Byom. Byom finished with a career-high 14 points to lead the Jackrabbits on a 4-for-8 showing from the floor and 6-for-7 mark at the free throw line.
UT Martin got on the scoreboard first in the game, but Madysen Vlastuin and Ellie Colbeck each knocked down a 3-pointer during a 10-0 run that put the Jacks ahead. SDSU led 17-11 after 10 minutes.
The Jacks recorded just one field goal during the second period and scored four total points but held the Skyhawks to two buckets from the floor and seven points during the same stretch.
SDSU opened with 11 straight points in the third and outscored UTM 20-8 in the quarter. The Jacks stretched their lead to 23 with eight straight to start the fourth. UT Martin used an 8-0 run of their own to come back within 15 but would come no closer.
Brooklyn Meyer followed Byom with nine points and a game-best 10 rebounds. Meyer also tallied four blocks in the contest, her third consecutive game with at least four rejections.
Tori Nelson and Vlastuin scored eight points apiece. Nelson also had five blocks, four assists and four rebounds. Vlastuin tallied six rebounds and a block.
As a team, SDSU registered 16 assists on 19 made field goals. Madison Mathiowetz paced the squad with five helpers to go with six points, three rebounds and three steals. All eight Jackrabbits that entered the contest registered at least one assist.
The Jackrabbits finished 48 percent from the floor and connected on six 3-point buckets. The Skyhawks shot just 21 percent in the contest.
UT Martin dropped to 0-4 on the season.
NOTES
- The Jacks registered 10 blocks as a team, the most of the season. It is the second game with at least 10 blocks for SDSU over the last four seasons.
- Brooklyn Meyer is averaging 4.3 blocks per game, which leads the country. She has also notched at least 10 rebounds in all three games this season.
- Mesa Byom set a new career high for the second consecutive game.
UP NEXT
South Dakota State travels to take on No. 1 South Carolina Monday in Columbia, South Carolina.