Kam Williams made a tiebreaking four-point play with 1:36 left, then added a trio of free throws after being fouled on another 3-point attempt, lifting Ohio State to an 81-73 victory over South Dakota State in the West Region on Thursday.
Ohio State avoided being yet another victim of the classic 12-5 upset with an 81-73 win over South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits tied the game at 70 with a 10-0 run late but Kam Williams' 3 and free throw gave the Buckeyes complete control in the final minute. Entering today at least one 12 seed had won its opening game in 29 of the 33 years since the tournament expanded.
Ohio State is the first team to attempt 40 three-pointers in an NCAA tournament game since Drake attempted 42 against Western Kentucky in the 2008 Round of 64.
It looks like the 3-point line is going to be very important in this Ohio State-SDSU game. Both teams each hit nine 3s in the first half. SDSU's Brandon Key and Mike Daum and Ohio State's C.J. Jackson and Keita Bates-Diop each have 3 from beyond the arc. The Buckeyes averaged 6.8 made 3s per game coming in.
From standout performers such as Trae Young and Deandre Ayton to potential Cinderellas such as Davidson and Loyola-Chicago, here's what you need to know about the 16 first-round games on Thursday.
David Jenkins scored 29 points, Mike Daum had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and South Dakota State beat South Dakota 97-87 on Tuesday night to win the Summit League Tournament championship, clinching the Jackrabbits a third straight NCAA Tournament berth.
David Jenkins Jr. had 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting and South Dakota State beat North Dakota State 78-57 in the Summit League Tournament semifinals on Monday night.
Mike Daum scored 33 points and grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds and top-seeded South Dakota State beat No. 8 seed Western Illinois 66-60 on Saturday night in the Summit League Tournament quarterfinals.
Mike Daum poured in 31 points and snagged 13 rebounds and Tevin King added a double-double of his own to lead South Dakota State to a 97-90 victory over Fort Wayne on Saturday night for its eighth straight win.
Mike Daum scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, David Jenkins Jr. added 18 points and a key 3-pointer late, and South Dakota State beat South Dakota 76-72 on Thursday night to win its first outright Summit League regular-season championship.
Mike Daum hit the 30-point plateau for the 10th time this season and South Dakota State won its 14th straight home game, beating Western Illinois 82-62 Saturday afternoon to hold onto first place in the Summit League standings.
Mike Daum had 27 points and 14 rebounds and made all 11 of his foul shots to help South Dakota State beat Oral Roberts 85-75 on Saturday night.
David Jenkins Jr., tied a career-high with 31 points, Mike Daum had a double-double and South Dakota State beat Denver 83-75 on Thursday night.
Mike Daum scored 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as South Dakota State maintained its lock on first place in the Summit League by rolling past rival North Dakota State on Thursday night.
Mike Daum scored 35 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for his 24th career double-double and South Dakota State beat Omaha 80-60 on Tuesday night.
Mike Daum tossed in 23 points, including two free throws with 21 seconds left in the game, and South Dakota State hung on for a 78-76 victory over Fort Wayne on Saturday.
Matt Mooney scored 30 points and South Dakota snapped South Dakota State's eight game win streak with an 87-68 victory on Wednesday night.
Two games of special interest tonight, each contesting a spot in tomorrow's Bracketology update: Loyola Chicago at Drake (MVC) and South Dakota St at South Dakota (Summit League). Also playing for bracket spots tonight are Syracuse (vs. Boston College) and Boise State (vs. San Jose State). Yep, it's getting to be that time...
David Jenkins Jr. scored 27 points to lead seven in double-figure scoring as South Dakota State remained undefeated in the Summit League with a 98-70 rout of Western Illinois on Saturday night.
Mike Daum made 10 of 14 from the field and finished with 34 points and David Jenkins Jr. scored 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting to help South Dakota State beat Denver 94-72 on Saturday.
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota St | 13-1 | - | 28-7 |
| South Dakota | 11-3 | 2 | 26-9 |
| Denver | 8-6 | 5 | 15-15 |
| Fort Wayne | 7-7 | 6 | 18-15 |
| North Dakota St | 5-9 | 8 | 15-17 |
| Oral Roberts | 5-9 | 8 | 11-21 |
| Omaha | 4-10 | 9 | 9-22 |
| Western Illinois | 3-11 | 10 | 12-16 |
| Final Fours | 0 |
| Tournament Record | 0-4 |
| Championship Seasons | None |
| Tournament Appearances | 4 |
