A late surge by South Dakota State University late in the second half helped the Jackrabbits to an 81-72 win over the Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team on Wednesday, Nov. 21 in Brookings, SD. SMSU is now 3-12 against NCAA Division I teams.
SMSU was led by junior Matt Zager, who recorded 13 points, followed by Lavione West, who added 12 points. The Jackrabbits held SMSU’s leading scorer, Jordan Miller, to just seven points. However, Miller finished with seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals. William Giddings recorded 11 points and pulled down six rebounds. Nick Smith chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds, while Jordan Buddenhagen scored nine points off the bench after knocking down three 3-pointers.The Mustangs shot 51 percent from the field, as well as going 8-20 from behind the arc.
The Jackrabbits led for the majority of the first half. However, Zager tied the score at 15-15 with twelve and a half minutes left before halftime. SDSU was quick to rebuild their lead, putting the Mustangs in a 25-18 deficit. However, the Mustangs were relentless, gradually picking up the slack. A Giddings 3-pointer with under six minutes left in the half gave the Mustangs a 30-29 lead. The Jackrabbits quickly answered with six consecutive points, taking a 38-33 lead at the half.
Early in the second half, West ended a 7-0 scoring run by the Mustangs to tie the game at 40-40 with over 17 minutes left in the game. However, the Jackrabbits fired back with a 7-0 run of their own to reclaim the lead. This seven point run was only the start of a 28-6 run during the following nine minutes, giving SDSU a 68-48 lead with eight and a half minutes of play remaining.
But the Mustangs weren’t going down easily; instead, they cut the deficit to 76-67 with just under two minutes left in the second half. SDSU built up their momentum for one last time, nailing down the victory.
With the loss, the Mustangs fall to an overall record of 2-3, while the Jackrabbits improve to 4-2.
On Sunday, November 25, the Mustangs took on Northwest Missouri State and suffered a 74-62 loss, despite a late surge. The Bearcats used hot shooting to their advantage, shooting 44 percent from the field and knocking down eight 3-pointers.
The Mustangs were led by Smith, who recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks. Close behind was West, who scored 13 points off the bench. Miller finished the game with 11 points.
Within the first seven minutes of play, the Bearcats jumped to a 15-6 lead. They would go on to take their largest lead of 21-8 with 11 minutes left in the half. The Mustangs failed to come within eight points of the Bearcats throughout the entire first half. Going into the half, the Bearcats held a 38-29 lead.
The Bearcats took their largest lead of the game after an 11-2 scoring run with over ten minutes left on the clock. The Mustangs responded with seven points, cutting the deficit to 55-46. A snappy 6-0 run by the Bearcats put them in control once again with a 61-46 lead.
Good defense and on-point shooting allowed the Mustangs to cut the lead to 65-60 within the next few minutes. With just over two minutes left on the clock, both teams swapped field goals to set the score at 67-62.However, the Mustangs would go scoreless for the remainder of the game, falling 74-62 to the Bearcats.
With the loss, the Mustangs fall to 3-4, while the Bearcats improve to a perfect 5-0.