SIOUX FALLS South Dakota State is going back to the NCAA Tournament. The Jackrabbits held off Denver on Tuesday night, defeating the Pioneers 76-68 in the Summit League Championship.
What a feeling, SDSU head coach Eric Henderson said. Weve got incredible players. Ive been so proud of our guys. As an educator and a teacher, theres really nothing better than watching young people grow and believe in each other and then get rewarded for it. Im just so proud of them and how they responded. Its pretty special.
SDSU led by 23 points with 8:33 to play and the Pioneers went on a 22-4 run to cut the lead to 67-62 with 59 seconds left. The Jacks were then forced to make free throws and they did just that. Senior guard Matt Mims and freshman Kalen Garry combined to go 9-of-10 at the line down the stretch and that clinched SDSUs second NCAA Tournament berth in the past three seasons.
Mims said he didnt feel any pressure at the line late in the game because the Jacks were still in front.
They picked up some momentum there at the end, but ultimately, I just wanted us to remain calm. At the end of the day we still had the lead, so in my mind all of the pressure was still on them. We just had to stick to the plan and be us at the end of the day, Mims said.
In the midst of the late Denver run, fifth-year senior Charlie Easley rolled his ankle after shooting a three and had to come out of the game. Garry was the one that replaced Easley and it worked out for the Jacks in the end as Garry finished with 11 points.
Both Easley and Henderson said after the game that hell be good to go for next weeks NCAA Tournament game. Easley added that he knew his teammates were going to be able to hold on for the victory.
Obviously I didnt want to end it like that, going out, but I trusted my teammates and I always trust my teammates. I knew the next guy was going to step up and they did, and we got it done, Easley said.
Sophomore forward William Kyle III was named the Summit League Tournament MVP. Kyle had 15 points and 11 rebounds on Tuesday night and for the tournament he averaged 13 points and eight rebounds.
After scoring just two points in two games last year at the Summit League Tournament, Kyle said this season he realized he can do a lot of things to help his team win.
This means a lot to me. Its what I dreamed of and just to do it, if I keep this work ethic, I can keep getting better. Its like an a-ha moment. I can really do it and if you told me I would do this a few years ago, I wouldve thought you were crazy, Kyle said.
SDSU shot 46% from the field and was 9-of-23 from three. The Jacks were led by Zeke Mayo and Luke Appel who each had 16 points. Appel also had eight rebounds and four assists and Mayo had six rebounds.
SDSU is now winners of eight straight games and 10 of their last 11. With three weeks to go in the season it looked as though it just might not be the Jacks’ year in a Summit League where everyone beat each other. But SDSU figured it out down the stretch and is heading to its seventh NCAA Tournament as a program.
The Jacks last made the tournament in 2022 and they were riding a 21-game win streak heading into it. Mayo was on that team and he said this one feels a lot different because of all of the ups and downs that team went through throughout the season.
Its a different championship. This league was up for grabs arguably the entire season, but we finished strong. Then just to come out here and we took it one step at a time. We completed a three-step process. Just to be a part of something like this, a team that has struggled in the past and we turned it around at the right time. It feels so good to be a part of something like that and were going to continue to do what we do, Mayo said.
SDSU will find out where it headed on Sunday at 5 p.m. You can watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on CBS.
Leave a Reply