Mankato, Minn. --- Junior forward Jadee Jones knocked down a left-handed jumper in the middle of the lane with three seconds remaining to propel Minnesota State to a thrilling 78-77, back-and-forth victory over 10th-ranked South Dakota Thursday evening in front of 2,221 fans in Bresnan Arena’s Taylor Center on the campus of Minnesota State University.
The game featured 12 lead changes and nine ties. Three of those 12 lead changes came in the game’s final minute.
South Dakota broke a tie at 72 when Dylan Grimsley nailed a three-pointer from the right wing. Neither team would score for the next 97 seconds, until Minnesota State sophomore point guard Jesse Clark nailed a pair of free throws to cut the USD advantage to one at 75-74.
On USD’s ensuing possession, Clark gathered a steal and took the ball coast-to-coast. Although he missed the lay-up, freshman wing Preston Whitaker was there to gather the rebound and convert the put-back to give Minnesota State a 76-75 advantage with 28 seconds remaining.
South Dakota’s Eric Hall would knock down a jumper with 17 seconds remaining to give the Coyotes the edge at 77-76, and set-up Jones’ heroics.
USD’s Mitch Begeman had a chance to win the game at the end, but the ball fell of the front of the rim to secure the victory for MSU.
“What a great victory,†said head coach Matt Margenthaler. “These are the type of the games that you have to win if you want to win conference championships. We put ourselves in great position as we approach the final three games.â€
The Mavericks were led in scoring by center Atila Santos, who finished with a team-high 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a 3-of-4 effort from the line. Santos also hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds, marking his 14th double-double of the year and the seventh in his last eight games.
Clark and junior forward Jake Morrow each added 12 points, while Jones added 11. Clark passed out a game-high six assists in the win, while Jones contributed five assists, a tally which ties his season-high.
The Mavericks shot 49.1 percent from the floor in the win, while USD converted 46.7 percent of its opportunities. South Dakota won the battle of the boards, 34-32, including a 12-10 edge on the offensive end.
South Dakota was led in scoring by Grimsley’s 18 points.
The Mavericks (19-5, 8-1 NCC) hosts Nebraska-Omaha Saturday at 4 p.m.
