BROOKINGS South Dakota State outscored Kansas City 16-4 in the final 4:42 of the game and came away with a 70-65 win on Sunday in its final game at First Bank & Trust Arena this season.
The Jackrabbits trailed 61-54 with just under five minutes to play. Jaden Jackson hit a pair of threes and Kalen Garry made a jumper to put SDSU up 62-61 with 2:16 left in the game. Kansas City made a free throw and then the two teams traded baskets to make it 64-64 with 1:09 to go.
Oscar Cluff then made a lay up and the Jacks got a stop on the other end. Jackson calmly knocked down two free throws with 13.9 seconds left to seal the deal.
A couple of our young guys grew up, said SDSU head coach Eric Henderson. I thought Stoney [Hadnot] was terrific. He hit that big three when we needed it and that helped change the momentum and got the crowd back into it. Jaden [Jackson] had [some big threes] and Joe [Sayler] got downhill and shared the basketball. Defensively, we got stops down the stretch. We werent perfect, but we were physical, we protected the paint and we were challenging [shots] and rebounded pretty well too.
The Jacks struggled to fully get things going throughout the game. It was 14-14 eight minutes into the game and then SDSU went on a 10-2 run to go up 24-16 with eight minutes left in the half. The Jacks then led 30-22 with 3:38 to go in the half and the Roos outscored them 10-4 in the final three and half minutes to make it 34-32 heading into halftime.
On the final play of the first half, freshman point guard Owen Larson was running back in transition trying to defend and planted awkwardly. He immediately grabbed his knee, went to the floor and had to be helped to the locker room. Larson did not play in the second half and was on the end of the bench with a look of disappointment on his face.
Henderson did not have a full update on the freshman point guard after the game.
Its classified as a knee sprain right now. Its so early to tell. Who knows right now. Were optimistic, and you know me, Im a positive guy, so Im hoping for the best. Until we do some further testing, were not going to for sure know anything, Henderson said.
The injury seemed to put SDSU in a bit of a rut offensively early in the second half. The Roos took the lead with 17 minutes left in the game and pushed it 44-40 with 15:18 left. SDSU tied it at 47-47 but then five-straight points put the Roos up five with 12 minutes to play. That set up the late surge from the Jackrabbits.
Cluff said the First Bank & Trust Arena crowd really helped the Jacks down the stretch.
I think the crowd definitely helped us in the second [half] when they started getting into it. It gave us energy and good moments and helped us finish in the end, Cluff said.
SDSU shot 45.5% from the field and was 6-of-18 from three. Cluff led the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kalen Garry and Jaden Jackson each had 11 points. Stoney Hadnot had 10 points.
It was the third-straight game that Jackson saw extended minutes. Last weekend he scored a careerhigh 17 points in a win over South Dakota in Vermillion. On Wednesday Jackson had his first collegiate start and scored 11 points against North Dakota State and on Sunday he played most of the second half in place of Larson.
Henderson said hes not surprised with how Jackson has played lately, but he doesnt want him to press should Larson have to miss time.
I think weve seen this coming for a long time, especially in practice, Henderson said. More defensively early when he was getting more minutes, but it was just a matter of time. Hes been more than a capable shooter his whole life, but its nice to see him get rewarded and hit those shots.
Regardless of whats the deal with Owen, you have to be careful. You dont want guys to think that they have to do too much. You dont want guys to get out of their comfort zone and you dont want them to do anything thats heroic. Just be who you are.
Kansas City shot 44.8% from the field and was 11-of-26 from three. Jamar Brown had 21 points and nine rebounds to lead the Roos. Babacar Diallo had 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
It was a win that SDSU needed to have on Sunday. The Jacks have just two regular season games left and Sundays victory made them tied with St. Thomas for second place in the Summit League. The Tommies have the tiebreaker, but now SDSU has set itself up to clinch at least the three-seed in the Summit League Tournament with a win in one of its final two games.
Cluff said he thinks the Jacks can put everything together come tournament time.
We got it done [today]. We have some things to work on. We have two more games and then the conference tournament. We have to come together and find ourselves. Were a great team and were going to do it and were going to give it our everything, Cluff said.
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