SDSU Men Blow Past IUPUI

INDIANAPOLIS – Brayden Carlson scored 11 of his team-high 18 points in the first 10 minutes of Saturday’s game at IUPUI, staking South Dakota State to an early lead that they would never relinquish in an 80-65 win over the Jaguars.

All five Jackrabbit starters scored in double figures and nine of the 10 Jackrabbits to play in the game scored at least two points in the win, which boosts the Jacks record to 15-6 overall and to 6-2 in The Summit League.

“I thought it would have been easy for us to come out flat. We talked yesterday about our pattern of the past two weeks of playing well on Thursday and being flat on Saturday,” head coach Scott Nagy said. “I thought our guys did a wonderful job of having themselves prepared.”

The injury-riddled Jaguars seventh straight loss drops them to 6-16 on the season overall and to 1-7 in league play.

Leading 10-8 in the first half after a couple of early lead changes, the Jackrabbits essentially put the game away with a 17-3 run that ended with a 27-11 SDSU lead with 10 minutes, 11 seconds remaining in the first half.

Carlson, who scored eight points in the run, added seven rebounds and two assists in the contest to go along with his game-high 18 points.  

Nate Wolters went just 2-of-8 from the floor, but went 7-of-8 from the free throw line and added six rebounds and seven assists in the win.

“Nate is certainly not out here just trying to get his points and seeing if he can lead the nation in scoring,” Nagy said of Wolters play on Saturday. “He’s got a very good feel for the game and he got other people involved today. I was proud of him, one turnover; I don’t think you can knock his game at all.”

Jordan Dykstra added 11 points and six rebounds, while Tony Fiegen and Chad White both finished with 10 points. Fiegen also tied a career-high with four assists.

Mitchell Patton and Greg Rice led the Jaguars in the loss with 17 points apiece. Patton added a game-high 11 rebounds to complete one of two double-doubles in the game, with Donovan Gibbs getting his with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a losing cause.

Winners of four in a row, the Jackrabbits look to make it five next Saturday, when they host North Dakota State at Frost Arena. The Jackrabbits and Bison tip at 2:05 p.m.

NOTES: SDSU tied the all-time series with IUPUI at 6-6 with the win … the Jacks and Jags played in front of an announced crowd of 506 at the Jungle on the IUPUI campus … SDSU scored more than 50 points in a half (52 in the first half) for the second time this season, the other being a 56 point first half against Omaha on Dec. 1 … five Jackrabbits scored in double figures for the first time this season, and for the first time since a win at Kansas City on Jan. 14, 2012 … Wolters scored in double figures for the 19th time this season, for the 100th time in his career and for the 57th consecutive game … Carlson led the Jacks in scoring for the second time this season, the first being his 23-point game vs. Marshall on Nov. 17

Courtesy SDSU Athletics