Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Northern Iowa on November 9, 2025 at 1 p.m.
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1 p.m.
Men's Basketball
at Northern Iowa
South Dakota State University Athletics
Monday, January 29
Brookings, S.D.
7 p.m.
South Dakota State University
56
vs
57
Middle Tennessee State
Jacks come up just short against Middle Tennessee State
1/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Free throws and turnovers gave South Dakota State a chance to win Monday night against Middle Tennessee State, but in the end, easy lay-ups cost the Jackrabbits a win as the Blue Raiders came from behind to win 57-56 in front of 1,434 fans at Frost Arena.
After falling behind by four points to start the game, the Jacks rattled off a 12-2 run to take a 12-6 lead, but that lead quickly vanished behind a 10-0 Blue Raider run.
The Jacks stayed with it though, and came back to tie the game at 16, then regain the lead at 19-16 after an Andy Kleinjan steal and three-pointer.
Other than two more ties the Jacks did not trail for the rest of the first half, although the two-point halftime lead came when Nigel Johnson fouled Jose Frias at the buzzer and Jose banged home both freebies to give SDSU its 31-29 halftime lead.
Eleven of the Jacks 31 first-half points came on free throws (11-of-14) while only two of the Blue Raiders points came from the line (2-of-3).
Middle Tennessee State kept it close in the half thanks to a 56.5 shooting percentage (13-of-23) from the field, eight of those 13 coming on lay-ups.
South Dakota State, on the other hand, shot 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from the field, with four lay-ups.
The Jacks came out in the second half and cushioned the lead to eight points as late as 11:08 remaining in the game, before Middle Tennessee started a rally.
A 10-2 run consisting of two lay-ups, a three-pointer and a dunk, put the Blue Raiders on top 50-49 with 8:06 left, but not for long.
The Jacks came right back and regained the lead at 52-50 with 5:42 left and held the lead until Desmond Yates tied it at 52 with a pair of free-throw and gave the Blue Raiders the lead for good by nailing a three-pointer with 4:03 left in the game.
Still in the game, the Jacks got back to within one point with the ball and 11.2 seconds to play, but Kai Williams last second shot missed its mark, and the game ended with the Jacks 16th loss of the season, compared to five wins.
Middle Tennessee gets back to .500 with the win, and even 11 wins and 11 losses.
Frias led all scorers and three Jackrabbits in double figures with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting and he made all five of his free throw attempts.
Cadwell and Michael Loney both finished with ten points and Williams came up one point and one rebound shy of his third double double of the season with nine points and nine rebounds.
Yates led a balanced Blue Raider attack with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, Theryn Hudson added 11 points in the win.
MTSU out rebounded the Jacks 30-22, but committed 16 turnovers compared to the Jacks nine.
South Dakota State shot 19 more free throws (20-of-28) than the Middle Tennessee (8-of-9), but the Blue Raiders finished the game shooting 52.3 percent (23-of-44) from the field including 16 lay-ups.
The Jacks shot 40.5 percent (17-of-42) from the floor and also made 16 lay ups in the game, but did not make a shot other than a lay-up in the second half.
SDSU gets the rest of the week off before wrapping up its four-game home stand on Saturday against North Dakota State in the 35th Annual Pork Classic.
The pork barbeque begins at 5 p.m. on the track in Frost Arena, tickets can be purchased at the door for $6.
Tip off in the 190th meeting between the Jackrabbits and Bison is scheduled for 7 p.m.
After falling behind by four points to start the game, the Jacks rattled off a 12-2 run to take a 12-6 lead, but that lead quickly vanished behind a 10-0 Blue Raider run.
The Jacks stayed with it though, and came back to tie the game at 16, then regain the lead at 19-16 after an Andy Kleinjan steal and three-pointer.
Other than two more ties the Jacks did not trail for the rest of the first half, although the two-point halftime lead came when Nigel Johnson fouled Jose Frias at the buzzer and Jose banged home both freebies to give SDSU its 31-29 halftime lead.
Eleven of the Jacks 31 first-half points came on free throws (11-of-14) while only two of the Blue Raiders points came from the line (2-of-3).
Middle Tennessee State kept it close in the half thanks to a 56.5 shooting percentage (13-of-23) from the field, eight of those 13 coming on lay-ups.
South Dakota State, on the other hand, shot 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from the field, with four lay-ups.
The Jacks came out in the second half and cushioned the lead to eight points as late as 11:08 remaining in the game, before Middle Tennessee started a rally.
A 10-2 run consisting of two lay-ups, a three-pointer and a dunk, put the Blue Raiders on top 50-49 with 8:06 left, but not for long.
The Jacks came right back and regained the lead at 52-50 with 5:42 left and held the lead until Desmond Yates tied it at 52 with a pair of free-throw and gave the Blue Raiders the lead for good by nailing a three-pointer with 4:03 left in the game.
Still in the game, the Jacks got back to within one point with the ball and 11.2 seconds to play, but Kai Williams last second shot missed its mark, and the game ended with the Jacks 16th loss of the season, compared to five wins.
Middle Tennessee gets back to .500 with the win, and even 11 wins and 11 losses.
Frias led all scorers and three Jackrabbits in double figures with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting and he made all five of his free throw attempts.
Cadwell and Michael Loney both finished with ten points and Williams came up one point and one rebound shy of his third double double of the season with nine points and nine rebounds.
Yates led a balanced Blue Raider attack with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, Theryn Hudson added 11 points in the win.
MTSU out rebounded the Jacks 30-22, but committed 16 turnovers compared to the Jacks nine.
South Dakota State shot 19 more free throws (20-of-28) than the Middle Tennessee (8-of-9), but the Blue Raiders finished the game shooting 52.3 percent (23-of-44) from the field including 16 lay-ups.
The Jacks shot 40.5 percent (17-of-42) from the floor and also made 16 lay ups in the game, but did not make a shot other than a lay-up in the second half.
SDSU gets the rest of the week off before wrapping up its four-game home stand on Saturday against North Dakota State in the 35th Annual Pork Classic.
The pork barbeque begins at 5 p.m. on the track in Frost Arena, tickets can be purchased at the door for $6.
Tip off in the 190th meeting between the Jackrabbits and Bison is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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