South Dakota State University's Independent Student-Run Newspaper Since 1885

The Collegian

South Dakota State University's Independent Student-Run Newspaper Since 1885

The Collegian

South Dakota State University's Independent Student-Run Newspaper Since 1885

The Collegian

    Jacks win streak hits 12 with thumping of Oral Roberts; Roos up next

    Mesa+Byom+of+South+Dakota+State+looks+to+find+an+open+teammate+in+the+73-55+victory+over+USD+in+Vermillion%2C+SD+Jan.+20%2C+2024.+Byom+had+seven+rebounds+and+six+points+with+four+assists+in+the+victory+over+the+in-state+rivals.
    Evan Patzwald
    Mesa Byom of South Dakota State looks to find an open teammate in the 73-55 victory over USD in Vermillion, SD Jan. 20, 2024. Byom had seven rebounds and six points with four assists in the victory over the in-state rivals.

    South Dakota State cruised to a season sweep of Oral Roberts on Saturday and extended their win streak to 12 games. They will return to Frost Arena for their next two games against Kansas City and Omaha.

    at Oral Roberts

    Two Jackrabbits achieved career highs in scoring at Mabee Center in Tulsa.

    Madison Mathiowetz scored 22 points, largely in part from six three-pointers made. Ellie Colbeck achieved 19 points, surpassing her previous high of 15 set just the week before at South Dakota. She hit on five three-pointers, making them the first Jackrabbit duo in nine years to make at least five three-pointers in a single game.

    The career highs set by Mathiowetz and Colbeck helped the Jacks surpass 100 points for the first time in Summit League play this season as they went on to win 103-77. Mathiowetz went on to earn a weekly accolade from the Summit League on Tuesday for her performance.

    “[Mathiowetz and] Colbeck have played incredibly well,” head coach Aaron Johnston said. “Ellie’s strung together a few games now where she’s really shot the ball at a high level.” Colbeck now has 100 points on the season, more than double her total from last year.

    Four other Jacks achieved double digits: Brooklyn Meyer with 18, Paige Meyer with 16, Tori Nelson with 11 and Mesa Byom with 10. The Jackrabbits achieved a season-high 62% on shots while they made their most three-pointers in a single game this season at 13, converting on their first six attempts.

    Sophomore guard Taleyah Jones led the Golden Eagles in scoring with 26 points, her second-most in a game this season. Two others achieved double digits, graduate guard Hannah Cooper with 17 and redshirt sophomore guard Jalei Oglesby with 10. ORU converted 41.3% of their shots while making just 25% of their three-pointers.

    “Our team was really locked in and did a great job,” Johnston said. “I thought defensively, we were, you know, good enough too. Oral Roberts is such a good offensive team, they’re really hard to slow down.” Oral Roberts has the best offense in the Summit League, averaging over 81 points a game.

    vs Kansas City

    The Kansas City Roos will make the trip up to Brookings on Thursday and are eighth in Summit League play. They are coming off an 86-71 win at home over the University of North Dakota on Saturday, snapping a five game losing streak.

    Freshman guard Emani Bennett is coming off a career-best performance, putting up 26 points off 11 field goals. Her twin sister, Elauni, also put up a career-best 15 points off seven field goals. Sophomore guard Alayna Contreras currently leads the Roos in scoring, averaging over 10 points a game.

    As a team, the Roos are 41.7% on their shots and 28.1% on three-pointers and are averaging 65.7 points a game on offense, putting them eighth in the Summit League. Defensively, they have allowed 64.5 points a game, third-best in the conference.

    Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. The game can be watched on Midco Sports Two or the Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus.

    vs Omaha

    Following Kansas City will be a visit from the Mavericks of Omaha, who sit last in the Summit League and are on a three game losing streak. They will travel to Vermillion to face the Coyotes of South Dakota Thursday before heading to Frost Arena on Saturday.

    In their last game, an 84-70 loss to North Dakota State, junior guard Grace Cave was the Mavericks’ leading scorer at 15. Three additional players scored double digits: junior guard Kennedi Grant with 13, junior forward Morgann Gardner with 12, and senior guard Polina Nikulochkina with 10. Cave leads the team in scoring this season, averaging over 12 points a game. She has connected on 42% of her shots.

    As a team, the Mavericks are 41.7% on their shots and 34.8% on three-pointers. They are third-best on offense in the Summit League with 74.2 points a game, but have allowed the most points with 84.5, just under eight more points than the next closest school in Oral Roberts.

    Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. The game can be watched on Midco Sports or the Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus.

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    About the Contributor
    Evan Patzwald
    Evan Patzwald, Design Editor
    Design Editor Evan Patzwald is a senior advertising major from Sioux Falls. He has minors in journalism, graphic design and social media.

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