OMAHA — South Dakota State used a 16-3 run to erase a six-point deficit in the final minute of regulation and earn an 85-77 overtime win over Omaha at Baxter Arena on Saturday night.
The win gave the Jackrabbits a 15-12 overall record and helped SDSU remain a half-game behind first-place North Dakota in the Summit League standings.
The game got off to a great start for SDSU as it opened the game on a 12-1 run that was capped by Luke Appel’s layup with 16:57 left in the first half. The Mavericks fought their way back into the game and cut the lead to 19-18 on Marquel Sutton’s 3-pointer with 10:19 left in the first half before Charlie Easley hit a 3-pointer and Appel hit another layup to give SDSU a 24-20 lead with 9:17 until halftime.
Omaha responded with a 10-0 run that put them ahead 30-24 with just over five minutes left in the first half but the Jacks battled to go into halftime tied at 35-35 and the game remained within a possession until Omaha went on a 10-2 run and took a 64-57 lead on JJ White’s 3-pointer with 6:12 to play.
SDSU once again fought back with a 10-1 run and took a 67-65 lead on Zeke Mayo’s free throw with 2:19 to go.
Frankie Fidler tied the game with two free throws of his own with 2:11 to go and after Mayo missed a floater in the lane on the following possession, Fidler connected from 19 feet to give the Mavericks a 69-67 lead.
Omaha pressured Mayo at half court and forced a bad pass on the following possession and Charlie Barnhart turned the ball over trying to avoid a backcourt violation.
The errant pass went into the hands of White for an easy layup to give Omaha a 71-67 lead with 53 seconds to go and Omaha extended its lead to 73-67 on a pair of free throws by Jaeden Marshall. But Matt Mims hit a 3-pointer to bring SDSU within three points and Zeke Mayo connected on a 3-point play to tie the game at 73-73.
Omaha had a chance to win the game in regulation but White’s 3-pointer at the buzzer hit the iron and sent the game to overtime. That opened the door for the Jacks to dominate the extra frame, taking the lead on Mayo’s jumper at the beginning of overtime and holding on to pick up the win.
Easley led the Jacks with 24 points and 10 rebounds in the win while Mayo finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists despite not scoring a bucket until late in the first half. William Kyle III had 18 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and an assist while Appel had 12 points and three rebounds.
Fidler finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists for the Mavericks while Marshall had 20 points, three rebounds, three steals and an assist. White had 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals while Nick Davis had seven points and four rebounds and Grant Stubblefield had seven points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist.
SDSU shot 46 percent including 7-for-26 (26.9%) on 3-pointers and went 18-of-22 (81.8%) from the free throw line. The Jacks also out-rebounded the Mavericks 48-32 and committed 13 turnovers.
Omaha shot 39 percent from the floor including 7-for-25 (28%) on 3-pointers. The Mavericks went 20-of-26 (76.9%) on free throws and committed seven turnovers.
The Jacks will return to Frost Arena when they host Denver at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
