The SDSU men’s basketball team fell for the first time at home this season as North Dakota State pulled away for a 77-68 victory.
The Bison played a nearly clean game offensively, committing just four turnovers, with all four coming in the second half.
And after losing to the Jacks in Fargo Jan. 30, NDSU head coach David Richman knew the Bison needed to be more efficient offensively if they wanted to return the favor.
“I thought at our place we were right in that fight,” Richman said. “But we weren’t very good, we weren’t very efficient offensively. Not only that, but those turnovers lead to runouts, and besides going to [Oscar] Cluff, that’s where they really excel.”
It was a seesaw game through the first 12 minutes but was still primarily controlled by the Bison. SDSU guard Isaac Lindsey connected from long range to take a 22-21 advantage with 8:35 to go in the first half, but that would be the last time the Jacks would hold the lead.
NDSU forward Jackson Moni was virtually unguardable for the Jacks in the loss, erupting for 28 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“He’s a great player,” SDSU guard Joe Sayler said on Moni. “He can space the floor, he can shoot really well and obviously, he can score around the rim too. He was just getting a little bit of everything.”
The 6-foot-10 Northern State transfer hit tough shots throughout the second half, silencing multiple SDSU comeback attempts.
“We just didn’t have a great plan on the ball screens,” Jackrabbit Head Coach Eric Henderson said. “They were getting downhill, they were making shots, they got to the foul line. We kind of gave it all to them and it all goes back to Jackson [Moni] a little bit because how are you going to defend him because he’s in every action.”
The Bison led by as much as 12 in the second half, but there was still plenty of time for a Jackrabbit comeback. With eight minutes to play, a Stoney Hadnot layup cut the Bison lead to just three points but quickly grew back to nine after a 9-2 Bison run.
SDSU got it back to a four-point game with just under three minutes to play, but the Bison kept finding a way to score and hang on for the nine-point win in one of the toughest places to play in the Summit League, First Bank & Trust Arena.
“This group is capable of some very, very special things,” Richman said. “One of our core values is endurance. We know this is a good team in a hostile environment; they’re going to make plays, and we’ve got to respond, and I think we did that very well tonight.”
Cluff had a rather slow start for the Jacks in the loss but managed 14 points and 10 rebounds, Sayler finished with 14 points as well, adding four boards and three assists. Owen Larson netted 13 points and four assists, while Jaden Jackson dropped 11 points, hitting three of eight attempts from beyond the arc.
NDSU’s Tajavis Miller added 15 points along with Moni’s 28-point game, Masen Miller recorded 14 points, while Jacari White rounded out the heavy-hitting with 13 points, three rebounds and three steals for the Bison.
Up Next
The Jacks are back in Brookings this weekend for the final home game of the season as they take on Kansas City on Senior Day. Tipoff inside First Bank & Trust Arena is set for 1 p.m. and can be seen on CBS Sports Network.