Jackrabbit comeback comes up short

Saturday, December 18

Kalamazoo, Mich.

2 p.m. ET

South Dakota State University

Western Michigan

12/18/2010 5:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: SDSU Sports Info

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Down by 19 points early in the second half, South Dakota State outscored Western Michigan 42-16 over the next 16 minutes to take a seven point lead, only to see it vanish in an 8-0 run that propelled Western Michigan to a 77-74 win on Saturday afternoon in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The Jackrabbits, who fall to 7-3 with the loss, went 7-for-17 from the free throw line in the first half, trailed 44-30 at the half after Juwan Howard, Jr., nailed a three-pointer as the first half buzzer sounded.

"The first half was a debacle, we just didn't show any toughness at all, 7-of-17 on free throws, that alone is about enough to make you sick," SDSU head coach Scott Nagy said after the game. "In the second half we decided to play."

Western Michigan (5-4) scored the first five points of the second half to take a commanding 49-30 lead with 19:01 on the clock before the Jackrabbits, namely Nate Wolters, got hot.

Wolters led the Jacks with 28 points in the loss, 18 of which came in during the 16 minute stretch the ended with the Jacks up 72-65 with 2:49 left to play.

WMU finally got back on track and scored the next eight points to take a 73-72 lead with just under a minute to play. Wolters scored his final two points of the game the next trip down the floor to put the Jacks back on top by one, but the Broncos scored on their next possession to go up for good.

Trailing 77-74 with just over a second on the clock, Clint Sargent just missed on a three-point attempt to force overtime.

In addition to Wolters, who added seven assists to his game-high 28 points, Jordan Dykstra scored 12 points, 10 in the second half, while Sargent added 10.

Demetrius Ward led the Broncos with 19 points in the win; Flenard Whitfield added 18 and Mike Douglas 12 points.

The Jackrabbits return to action on Monday, when they travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich., to take on Central Michigan at 7 p.m. ET.