BROOKINGS, S.D. (SDSU) — South Dakota State used a dominant defense and a physical offensive attack to pull away from Kansas City 67-49 in men’s basketball action Friday night at Frost Arena.
SDSU (14-6, 8-3 Summit League) kept its regular season conference title hopes alive by shooting 63 percent and holding the visiting Roos (11-11, 7-6) to 33 percent from the field.
A back-and-forth first half saw the Jacks score 11 of the frame’s final 13 points, with reserve post Luke Appel notching eight in the final 2:48, as State carried a 31-26 lead into the locker room.
The Roos opened the second half with five straight to tie the game, but Douglas Wilson rattled off nine points amid a 14-4 run that gave the hosts control for good.
The trio of Wilson, Appel and Matt Dentlinger controlled the area surrounding the rim. Appel posted a career-high 17 points, making 6-of-9. Dentlinger added 13 points on 6-of-7 attempts, while Wilson contributed nine. Those three led an interior attack that outscored Kansas City 42-18 in the painted area.
Appel and Dentlinger joined Baylor Scheierman in double figures. Scheierman recorded his 12th double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes.
SDSU’s defense limited Kansas City to 17-of-51 shooting and shutout the Roos for three minutes or more on four separate occasions.
The Jacks clinched a top-three seed in next week’s Summit League Tournament. A win in Saturday’s regular season finale would keep both the league championship and a No. 1 seed within reach.
Notes
- SDSU has the best home court winning percentage in the nation over the last 10 years. The Jacks are now 126-7 (.947 percent) at Frost Arena during that span.
- Scheierman’s 12 double-doubles are the fifth most by a Jackrabbit in the Division I era.
- The Jacks went 2-for-8 on 3-pointers. That’s the fewest triples made by an SDSU team since Jan. 8, 2020, when State shot 2-of-9 from deep in an 80-68 win at Denver.
Up Next
SDSU closes out the regular season with game two against Kansas City Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at Frost Arena.
