BROOKINGS, S.D. (SDSU) — South Dakota State opened the season 1-0 Monday night with a 55-42 win over Arkansas State at Frost Arena.
Paige Meyer led the Jackrabbit offense with 18 points and four assists on the night. Brooklyn Meyer posted a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double to go with four blocks. All three marks are career bests for the sophomore.
The Jackrabbits trailed 7-3 to start the contest, then posted a 14-0 run that spanned more than 10 minutes to lead 17-7. Paige Meyer tallied 10 of the Jacks’ first 17 points. Following the run, SDSU was held to just five points for the final 6:15 of the second half while the Red Wolves came all the way back to lead 24-22 at halftime.
Tori Nelson and Madysen Vlastuin combined for the first five points of the second half, giving the Jackrabbits the lead back at 27-24. A-State tied the contest at 27 and again at 29 before a Brooklyn Meyer layup pushed the Jacks ahead for good, 31-29.
A pair of fast break layups from Nelson and Paige Meyer made it a 10-point game, 46-36, with 4:41 left to play. The Red Wolves quickly pulled back within five, then Ellie Colbeck and Madysen Vlastuin hit 3-pointers within 30 seconds of each other that made it at 10-point contest again. The Jacks held Arkansas State scoreless over the final two minutes on the way to the 13-point victory.
Nelson and Vlastuin contributed six points apiece for SDSU. Nelson also had six rebounds, four assists and a block while Vlastuin finished with four boards and three assists. Mesa Byom added four rebounds and a pair of blocks. Freshman Jenna Hopp ended up with five rebounds and three points in her Jackrabbit debut.
The Jackrabbits shot 36 percent from the floor over 40 minutes but improved to nearly 47 percent during the fourth quarter. The SDSU defense held A-State to only 22 percent in the contest and just 14 percent in the second half.
Izzy Higginbottom put up 22 points and five boards for the Red Wolves.
NOTES
- Paige Meyer’s 18 points is her most in a single game since scoring 19 against Western Illinois as a freshman in January 2022.
- Brooklyn Meyer’s previous bests were 12 points (twice) and seven rebounds (five times).
- Madysen Vlastuin, Mesa Byom and Brooklyn Meyer each made their first career starts and played career-high minutes. Madison Mathiowetz also played career-high minutes.
UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits will be off until November 14 when the team travels to take on Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.
