Jackrabbits Run Past Kangaroos, 88-57

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits got out and ran on Saturday, and extended their Summit League record home win streak to 28 games in an 88-57 rout of Kansas City. The home crowd of 4,290 at Frost Arena saw the hosts take a 20-point halftime lead and never look back.

The 'Roos (6-18, 3-8 SL) offensive struggles continued in the early going, with only two points in the first seven minutes. The Jacks (18-6, 9-2 SL) used that to build a 26-6 lead by the 8:14 mark. The UMKC offense finally woke up in the final eight minutes though, scoring 24 points the rest of the way, playing dead even with SDSU the rest of the half.

The Jacks held a 50-30 lead at the break, getting up by as many as 24 in the period. Nate Rogers scored six points for the 'Roos to lead the scoring punch, hitting two threes in the final 1:34. The 'Roos heated up to shoot 40.7 percent in the half, but SDSU hit 53.3 percent, including six threes and 12 free throws. Nate Wolters had 12 points and Jordan Dykstra hit for 14 in the half for the hosts. South Dakota State also had a 19-12 advantage on the glass.

The second stanza started much more quickly for Kansas City, as they opened on a 7-1 run to make it a 14-point game with 16:28 on the clock. The Jacks answered quickly though, and never let it get any closer. With 11 minutes to play, South Dakota State started an 11-2 run to make it 72-44 with 7:10 left, virtually icing it.

The benches emptied in the final five minutes as the lead got to as many as 35.

Kansas City did a much better job on the glass in the second half, and had a 24-23 edge in rebounds. Junior forward Trinity Hall picked up his second career double-double in the contest, scoring 11 points and pulling down 10 boards. Senior center Brad Reid also picked up 10 rebounds, his second double-digit rebounding performance in the last three games.

The scoring leader was sophomore guard Estan Tyler, who put up 13, including 3-of-7 from three-point range. The Jackrabbits had five players in double figures, led by Wolters' 18 points and six assists. Dykstra finished with 16 points and nine boards.

The 'Roos shot 33.9 percent for the game, while SDSU hit 47.4 percent. The Jacks were red-hot from three-point range as well, hitting 10-of-19, compared to UMKC's 6-of-20 clip.

Kansas City will hit the road on Wednesday for a return trip to Houston Baptist. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 pm tipoff in Houston, Texas.