Jacks repeat as Summit League Tournament Champs

Tuesday, March 7

Sioux Falls

8 p.m.

South Dakota State University

18-16

#3 Seed Omaha

18-14

South Dakota State

Omaha

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

3/7/2017 11:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- For the fourth time in six years, South Dakota State is dancing. The No. 4 seed Jackrabbit men's basketball program claimed a 79-77 slugfest victory over No. 3 seed Omaha in Tuesday's Summit League Tournament Championship to earn an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.

Playing in front of 9,441 fans, SDSU (18-16) hit 48.3 percent of its field goals and finished the game 13 of 14 at the charity stripe. The Jacks were strong on the boards with a plus-19 rebounding margin, including a 24-9 advantage in second half rebounds.

Tournament MVP Mike Daum and Chris Howell combined for 36 of State's 42 second-half points, leading the way on a team that offset 19 turnovers with 25 second-chance points.

Daum posted his ninth double-double of the year with 37 total points and 12 rebounds, while Chris Howell scored 12 points and Reed Tellinghuisen added 11.

SDSU came out sluggish and committed six turnovers in the opening four minutes, facing a 13-5 deficit at the under-16 media timeout. Moments later, down 16-7, the Jacks broke out on a 12-4 run to cut it to one, 20-19, when Ian Theisen sank a 3-pointer at 11:41.

The teams traded buckets from there before a Tellinghuisen 3-pointer gave the Jackrabbits their first lead of the night with 6:25 to go in the half. Four more lead changes followed before State scored the final seven points of the half and carried a 37-31 lead into the break.

Omaha came out firing in the second, tearing off nine unanswered points in the opening 55 seconds to regain the lead and force a Jackrabbit timeout.

SDSU answered with five straight to take back the lead, 42-40, and the teams traded punches over the next three minutes before SDSU went on a 9-2 run and opened a 55-50 lead with 13:55 to play.

Omaha scored the next eight as the heavyweight fight continued, and neither team led by more than one possession until the Mavericks went up 72-68 with five minutes left.

The Jacks answered immediately with a quick five-point spurt to go back on top, and though the Mavs continued to threaten, SDSU never relinquished the lead as Omaha missed two three-point attempts in the final 12 seconds.

Game Notes

South Dakota State is now 17-5 all-time in The Summit League Tournament with four titles and five finals appearances.
Mike Daum moved into 15th on SDSU's career scoring list with 1,379 points. He passed Dave Thomas, who has 1,355 points from 1969-73 and is one shy of Chris White (1990-92) for 14th.
Reed Tellinghuisen is now 43rd on SDSU's career scoring list with 1,011 points.
A No. 4 seed has won the Summit League Tournament three times. It last happened in 1991-92 when Eastern Illinois defeated Illinois-Chicago.
SDSU is now 16-1 when it outrebounds opponents.
Mike Daum's 37 points is tied for the second most in Summit League Tournament history.
Mike Daum and Reed Tellinghuisen were named to the All-Tournament team, with Daum earning Most Valuable Player honors for the second consecutive year.