BROOKINGS, S.D. – In the second game of a road back-to-back Summitt League matchup, the Western Illinois men’s basketball team played South Dakota State close in the first half, but the Jackrabbits pulled away in the second to claim a 92-63 decision on Saturday.
“Clearly, we show signs, but now we have to figure out ways to sustain. Tonight, I thought the first 30 minutes we were in a better position than last night, and then we ran out of gas. We couldn’t sustain,” said head coach Rob Jeter.
Words to describe the first half include contentious, back-and-forth, and even. The period was far closer than the day prior, as seven ties and seven lead changes highlighted the Saturday finale, with the last stalemate sitting at 35-all with a minute to go before halftime.
The Jackrabbits took a 40-35 edge into the break and didn’t surrender their advantage the rest of the way. Western remained a thorn in SDSU’s side through the 12:57-mark where Erik Talton’s fast-break jumper settled things at 50-45; the make was unfortunately met by a 14-0 Jackrabbit run.
In an uncharacteristic night, Western Illinois went 1-for-13 from behind the arc; the team typically averages seven 3-pointers per game but found most of its success inside the paint for 38 of its 63 points.
For the second time in as many games, Adam Anhold led the Leathernecks in points and rebounds on 11 and seven, respectively. Tamell Pearson joined him in double figures with 11.
Western lost the first game of the series on Friday night 83-77 and are now (2-9) overall and (0-4) in the Summit League. The Leathernecks return to Western Hall to play host to Kansas City (Jan. 15-16) and South Dakota (Jan. 22-23) next.
***Recap courtesy of WIU Athletics***
