BUFFALO, N.Y. - 13th-seeded South Dakota State was unable to gain the usual heat from the three-point line and couldn't stop the hot offense from No. 4 Providence on Thursday, falling 64-55 in KeyBank Center during NCAA Tournament action.
Despite a cold end to the first half, SDSU went a promising run near the end of game time that simply just fell short of a comeback.
Four Jackrabbits scored in double figures, led by a nationally-recognized 18-point, 10-rebound performance from
Baylor Scheierman.
Douglas Wilson, who played his last career game in the blue and yellow, and
Alex Arians each finished with 13 points as
Zeke Mayo pitched in 11 points.
SDSU (30-5) shot 38.6 percent from the floor, 30.4 percent from beyond the arc and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. The Jacks had the 15-5 advantage on fast break points but were outrebounded 41-32.
First half action started hot and fast for both teams, as Providence (26-5) took a quick 7-3 lead before SDSU went on an 8-0 run to take control with two shell-shocking dunks from Wilson featured in the timeframe. It took nearly nine minutes for the first break in play to happen, with the Jacks in the lead 17-15 at the 11:12 mark.
Each team soon encountered a dry spell midway through the first half, but the Jacks continued to struggle to score throughout the remainder of the period. The Friars went on a 7-0 run to end the half, holding SDSU scoreless for the final three minutes as they took a 31-23 lead into halftime.
The second half started off with Providence in control, as the Friars opened up a 43-29 advantage at the 15:59 mark. SDSU then went on an 8-0 run to cut the game to 43-37 and continued to battle on both ends to keep the contest close. Clutch 3-pointers from Arians and Mayo helped keep the Friar lead in single digits throughout the final eight minutes of play.
A bucket from Scheierman with 59 seconds left made it a three-point game, a potential comeback in sight, but three free throws from Jared Bynum put the lead back at six and solidified the Friar win.
SDSU ends the season with a program and conference record 30 wins as Wilson ends his illustrious Jackrabbits career as one of the most prolific scorers in school history.
GAME NOTES
- Scheierman posted his 12th double-double of the season and 25th of his career
- Wilson ends his Jackrabbit career in 13th place on the all-time score list with 1,394 points
- This was the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the Jacks under Coach Eric Henderson and was the sixth appearance overall
- SDSU's last loss was against Missouri State on Dec. 15
-GoJacks.com-