MONTREAL – South Dakota State men’s basketball opened its Canadian preseason tour with a 76-69 victory Thursday evening over McGill, using a strong second half to pull away in the win.
The Jacks never trailed and had three score in double figures, led by Skyler Flatten’s 22 points and Brandon Key’s 20. Flatten hit a game-high four 3-pointers in the showing while Key and David Jenkins (11 points) added three 3-pointers apiece. Mike Daum finished with eight points, five rebounds and three assists on the night.
Nine Jackrabbits saw time in the exhibition, with newcomer Owen King logging 27 minutes in the starting lineup, scoring five points and grabbing six rebounds.
“McGill is a physical, well-coached team,” SDSU head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “I was pleased how our team responded to adversity. Brandon Key and Skyler Flatten brought tremendous energy from start to finish, and they were certainly the difference for us tonight.”
Up four (37-33) at the break, State outscored McGill by five in the third quarter to create separation. After pushing its lead to double digits (57-46) early in the fourth, however, the Jacks saw the Redmen climb back within four, 68-64, with less than four minutes to play in the game. SDSU regained momentum with a quick 5-0 burst behind a Key 3-pointer and Daum layup moments later, though, and held on down the stretch to secure the win.
Up Next
South Dakota State heads for Ontario, Ottawa, for the first of two matchups this week with Carleton.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT.
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
