South Dakota State won its first home game of the season, but the team’s resilience was tested again. The Jackrabbits were better in nearly every metric against Dakota State, but the Trojans hung close in SDSU’s 68-62 victory.
Dakota State took a six-point lead midway through the first half before an SDSU 13-0 run gave the Jackrabbits a 22-15 lead with 9:34 left. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, with the Jacks holding a 38-33 lead at halftime.
Both teams shot the ball well in the first half, with each shooting above 40 percent from 3-point range. SDSU had 10 total free-throw attempts compared to the Trojans’ four.
In the second half, Dakota State mounted a scoring streak of its own. After making four of their first eight shots from the field, the Trojans cut the deficit to one.
After five minutes of one-possession play, Joe Sayler hit a 3-pointer with 11:33 remaining to give SDSU a two-possession lead. The advantage expanded to nine points after Alec Squires blocked a shot and followed it with a jumper.
The Trojans made it a one-possession game again with 4:40 left after an Aiden Jensen 3-pointer made the score 62-60. But Jaden Jackson sealed the win for SDSU, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to close out the game.
The second half saw both teams continue to shoot effectively, but Dakota State’s 3-point shooting fell off. After shooting 42.9 percent from deep in the first half, that figure dropped to 20 percent in the second. The Trojans compensated by getting to the free-throw line, going a perfect 7 for 7 after making just 1 of 4 attempts in the first half.
Conversely, SDSU struggled from the line after a strong first half. The Jacks shot 8 for 10 on free throws before halftime but went just 1 for 6 in the second.
Jackson again led the Jacks in scoring with 20 points, shooting 7 for 13 from the field. He went 3 for 7 from 3-point range and 3 for 4 on free throws, marking his second consecutive game with 20-plus points.
Squires led the team in rebounds with 10, including four on the offensive end. Sayler was second on the team in scoring with 11 points and added four rebounds.
On Sunday, SDSU will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on the University of Northern Iowa (1-0). The matchup is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
