Jacks drop exhibition contest to SMSU

(Brookings) Southwest Minnesota State handed South Dakota State a 70-65 loss in the Jackrabbits only exhibition game on Monday night in front of 1,192 fans at Frost Arena.

Junior Garrett Callahan led all players with 20 points in the loss, fellow junior Kai Williams added 11 points and pitched in with a team-high eight rebounds.

Andrew Peschong led two Mustangs in double figures with 15 points. Andy Beilke added 13 points in the win. Nick Dale scored nine points for SMSU and finished with a game-high ten rebounds.

SMSU out rebounded SDSU 45-38, including a 20-18 edge in offensive rebounds. The Jacks also struggled from behind the new 20 feet, 9 inch three-point line, which moved back a foot this season. SDSU went 1-for-14 from beyond the arc, while SMSU shot 4-for-16 from long distance.

The Jacks scored first on a bucket by sophomore Anthony Cordova, and even though SMSU scored the next four points for a two-point lead, SDSU scored the next six points after that to go up 8-4.

The Mustangs would tie the game at 14-all with 13:08 left in the first half and at 17-all with 12:06 left in the half, but they would regain the lead until late in the second half.

South Dakota State led 35-32 at the half, but the Mustangs hung around and eventually took a 64-63 lead with 3:19 left in the game on a Beilke three-pointer. They increased that lead to 66-63 on a powerful Dale dunk the next time down the floor.

The Jacks would get back within one on a Callahan jumper with 1:42 left, but they would not get any closer as Jon DoRock sunk a pair of free throws with two seconds left to seal the win.

The Jacks, who only played eight players due to a slough of injuries, open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 14, at Frost Arena against San Jose State. Tip-off for the Jackrabbits 2008-09 home opener is scheduled for 7 p.m.
*Courtesy: SDSU Sports Information