South Dakota State is back in Brookings for a signature rematch at 7 p.m. on Thursday when the Jackrabbits host St. Thomas in First Bank & Trust Arena. The Jacks and Tommies' first matchup this season came down to the final seconds.Â
SDSU traveled to St. Paul and faced the Tommies on Jan. 8. The meeting featured 19 lead changes and saw the Jacks hold a 69-66 edge with less than four minutes to play. SDSU had a one-point lead with 23 seconds left, but a pair of free throws put St. Thomas back up 73-72 with 13 seconds left. A deep 3-pointer by
Matthew Mors fell through the net, but he was unable to get the shot off in time and the Tommies claimed a home victory.
The Jacks and Tommies have met eight times since St. Thomas joined The Summit League ahead of the 2021-22 season. SDSU is 6-2 in those contests, including a 3-0 record in Brookings. The two met in last year's Summit League Tournament semifinals that the Jackrabbits won 59-49.
SDSU, which sits third in The Summit League standings at 6-3, faces the teams in the top two spots in its next two games at home. St. Thomas and Omaha are both 8-1 in conference play. The Tommies' lone loss is at Omaha Jan. 23, while the Mavericks fell 91-87 at South Dakota on Jan. 29.
South Dakota State is coming off a 1-1 road trip. The Jacks extended their active winning streak to five games by defeating NDSU, 72-62, in Fargo Thursday. The meeting saw the Jacks comeback from two separate 13-point deficits, SDSU's largest of the season. Their Saturday contest at North Dakota saw the Fighting Hawks shoot 68.8% in the first half en route to an 80-75 loss, ending a stretch of 18 straight victories in the all-time series over UND. The Jackrabbits are 15-9 this season overall.
St. Thomas enters Thursday's game with an 18-6 overall record. The Tommies, which score nearly 85 points per contest, have four players that average double digits in Miles Barnstable (14.9), Kendall Blue (12.1), Drake Dobbs (11.3) and Nolan Minessale (11.0). St. Thomas shoots a league-best 49.8% from the field which would rank sixth in the nation.Â
COVERAGE INFORMATION
South Dakota State's game versus the Tommies will be streamed onÂ
The Summit League Network Powered by Midco Sports. Fans can watch on summitleaguenetwork.tv or on The Midco Sports Plus app with a subscription. It also will be televised on Midco Sports. Every SDSU men's basketball game can be heard on theÂ
Jackrabbit Sports Network, atÂ
GoJacks.com.watch or on the Varsity App. To keep up with the Jackrabbits, follow along with the program on their social media accounts @GoJacksMBB or visit GoJacks.com.Â
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