South Dakota State men’s basketball dropped its last two games of the Cancun Challenge in Cancun, Mexico, to Utah Valley University and the University of California-Irvine last Tuesday and Wednesday.
UTAH VALLEY
The Wolverines started the game with a 9-0 scoring run before Damon Wilkinson scored the first points for the Jacks. They were one point away from Utah Valley eight minutes in but they ended the half trailing by five. SDSU could not get any closer after that, losing 75-52.
Matthew Mors led the Jacks in scoring with 10 points, going 36% on the floor, while collecting three rebounds, three blocks, and a steal. Jaden Jackson led the team in steals with three.
Tyler Hendricks and Trevan Leonhardt for Utah Valley scored 16 points each. Hendricks shot 40% from three while Leonhardt went 67% on the floor. Braden Housley finished the game with 15 points and was one of four Wolverines to record three steals.
UC IRVINE
The Anteaters started with a 4-0 scoring run before Joe Sayler scored the first bucket. Mors gave the Jacks an early lead before UC Irvine retook it a few minutes later. SDSU tied the game once more in the first half but could not get closer. They scored 52 points again, but UC Irvine put up 64 to get the win.
Buchanan led the Jacks in scoring with 12 points, going 50% from the floor and picking up a pair of steals. Sayler and Jackson scored eight points each, the highest for the starters. Luke Haertle led in rebounds with seven.
Jurian Dixon led the Anteaters in scoring with 13 points, going 33% from the floor. Kyle Evans recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Andre Henry had the best three-point percentage, going 3-7 for just under 43%.
SDSU falls to 4-4 on the season. Their next two contests are part of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge.
NORTHERN ARIZONA
The Jacks travel to Flagstaff, Arizona, to play Northern Arizona University. The Lumberjacks are 4-2 this season, coming off a 79-72 victory over Southeast Missouri State University last Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Zack Davidson is the Lumberjacks’ leading scorer with 84 points. The redshirt sophomore forward has gone 62.1% on the floor while only trying a pair of three-pointers. Davidson has the second-most rebounds on the team with 35, with Ryan Abelman leading with 40.
Abelman leads the team in steals with 12 on the season. He shoots 40% from the floor and 39.5% for three.
Tip-off is scheduled for Wednesday night at 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
IDAHO
SDSU returns to First Bank & Trust Arena this weekend on Saturday, Dec 6, to host the University of Idaho. The Vandals are 4-3 and will play the University of North Dakota on Wednesday night. Their last game was a loss to Sam Houston State University, 98-64, on Friday, Nov. 28.
Jackson Rasmussen leads the Vandals in scoring with 109 points. He is the tenth-highest scorer in the Big Sky Conference. Rasmussen is 60% from the floor and 33% from three, collecting 27 rebounds and a pair of steals and blocks.
Leading the team in rebounds is Jack Payne with 42, and leading in steals is Kolton Mitchell with 10.
Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed on the Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus.
