SDSU CLINCHES REGULAR SEASON TITLE

Thursday, February 17

Brookings, S.D.

7 p.m.

South Dakota State University

24-4,15-0Summit League

Western Illinois

15-12,6-9Summit League

Western Ill.

South Dakota St.

Photo by: Wyatt Jelden

2/17/2022 11:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State men's basketball claimed its fifth consecutive regular season title following a 91-66 victory over Western Illinois in Frost Arena Thursday night.

SDSU has won 15 straight games, which is tied for the longest active win streak in Division 1 and is the best start to conference play in Summit League history.

Three Jackrabbits finished in double figures, with explosive performances from Charlie Easley, Douglas Wilson and Baylor Scheierman. The team was led by a 21-point performance from Wilson as Scheierman nearly reached a triple-double as he finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Easley also added in a career-high 19 points, breaking his career mark halfway through the first 20 minutes of the game, and hit five 3-pointers.

SDSU (24-4, 15-0 Summit League) shot 63% from the field, 55% from beyond the arc and 70% from the free-throw line. The Jacks also had a monster 44-28 advantage for points in the paint.

First half action started hot and fast, as SDSU broke a tied game at the 14:47 mark and went on a blazing 19-0 run in just under five minutes. During that same time frame, Easley exploded for 11 points including three 3-pointers.

Western Illinois (15-12, 6-9) attempted to chip away at the lead, but continual hot shooting from the Jacks and a huge first half showing from Wilson helped keep the power for the remainder of the period. By halftime, SDSU was up 48-26 as Easley and Wilson each went to the locker room with 17 points apiece.

When the second half kicked off, the SDSU control picked up right where it left off. Scheierman went off for 10 points in the first six minutes of action as Zeke Mayo, Matt Mims and Alex Arians all cashed in from the 3-point line. The hot shooting eventually cooled but the dominant lead maintained until the final buzzer.

Western Illinois was led in scoring by KJ Lee, who finished with 15 points.

Game Notes

Easley scored a career-high 19 points, with a blazing 17 in the first half
SDSU has won at least a share of five consecutive conference titles
SDSU's 15-0 start is the best in Summit League history
SDSU is one of three D1 team with an undefeated conference record (Gonzaga and Murray State)
SDSU has scored 90+ points in 11 games this season, tied for most in the nation

Up Next: SDSU will host St. Thomas on Saturday for Senior Day. The final home game of the season is set to tip at 2 p.m.

-GoJacks.com-