SDSU STIFLES KANSAS CITY IN ROAD VICTORY

Thursday, February 26

Kansas City, Mo.

7 p.m.

South Dakota State University

14-16,7-8Summit League

Kansas City

4-25,1-14Summit League

South Dakota St.

Kansas City

Joe Sayler

2/26/2026 9:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Andrew Pedersen

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – South Dakota State held Kansas City to its lowest point total at home all season as the Jackrabbits defeated the Roos, 73-59, on Thursday in the Swinney Center in a Summit League men's basketball contest.

The two sides battled within one possession for the opening 12 minutes. It was a 19-16 score when Matthew Mors scored consecutive field goals to push the Jacks up by seven with six minutes left in the half. Joe Sayler knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give SDSU its largest lead of the first half, 31-19, at the 3:25 mark of the first half.

SDSU went into halftime ahead 36-30. The Roos continued to hang in at the start of the second half.

Kansas City had the score down to a 36-35 two minutes into half. SDSU continued to keep the Roos at bay as Kansas City pushed the deficit back to single digits on four occasions over the course of the final 20 minutes.

The Jackrabbits put together a seven-point scoring run with less than seven minutes to play which put the Roos out of reach. A pair of Sayler free throws eventually lifted the SDSU advantage into double digits for good.

South Dakota State shot 46.6% from the field while holding Kansas City to a 35.1% clip. The Jackrabbits were 8-for-19 (42.1%) from deep and the Roos finished 10 of 28 (35.7%). SDSU ended the night with a 47-25 edge on the boards.

South Dakota State improved to 14-16 overall and 7-8 in Summit League competition. Kansas City dropped to 4-25 (1-14).

NOTES

South Dakota State improved to 10-5 all-time in Kansas City and has won five of its last six visits to the Swinney Center.
Sayler scored a game-high 22 points to pace the Jackrabbits. He went 7 of 15 from the field, including a 4-for-8 clip behind the 3-point line. It was Sayler's seventh 20-plus point performance in Summit League play.
Joining him scoring in double digits were Damon Wilkinson (19), Kalen Garry (12) and Mors (11). Wilkinson was 8-for-14 from the field. Garry produced his first career double-double as he grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. He and Luke Haertle had a team-high three assists apiece. Haertle also set a season high of 10 rebounds.
CJ Evans led Kansas City with 20 points. Jayson Petty scored 15 points as the two were the lone Roos with more than three field goals.
The Jacks gave up their lowest point output to a Summit League foe this season with the 59 points given up to the Roos. Kansas City had its lowest total on its home floor, matching its 59 points it scored in a loss to Idaho State on Dec. 3.

UP NEXT
South Dakota State travels to Vermillion to close out its regular season. The Jackrabbits are slated to face the Coyotes in the SCSC at 1 p.m. on Saturday in an Interstate Series, presented by First Interstate Bank, matchup.

-GoJacks.com-