2008 Woodie Awards
No. 4 South Dakota tramples MSU
by Chris Jagerson
Issue date: 2/5/08
Section: Mens Sports
Shots that couldn't fall ended the winning streak of a team that couldn't lose.
Minnesota State shot just 32.9 percent from the field in a 80-61 loss to South Dakota in a North Central Conference men's basketball game Saturday at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion.
The Coyotes started the game on an 8-0 run and the Mavericks never caught up, trailing 41-30 at halftime.
Atila Santos' basket to open the second half got his team back within single digits at 41-32 and Preston Whitaker's jumper with 14:47 remaining made it 50-42, but that's as close as the Mavericks would get in the final 20 minutes. The Coyotes started a 10-1 run immediately after that.
"Offensively they can play care-free when they're up 10 or 15 at home," assistant coach Mike Schott said. "That makes it even tougher to guard them because they are so talented."
Whitaker scored a team-high 17 points and Santos and Jadee Jones each scored 14 points. Santos also grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds and was named co-NCC Player of the Week for his efforts. The 18 boards were the most by a player in the NCC this season.
The Mavericks as a team, however, didn't play so well. Jake Morrow shot just 1 of 14 from the field, including 0 for 7 from 3-point range. Marcus Hill shot 1 for 5 and Jesse Clark was 0 for 6.
"On nights that you aren't shooting the ball well, if you can get some easy buckets to get things going, that can jump start your offense," Schott said. "And we were never really able to get enough defensive stops to really jump start us by the way we shot the ball."
The Coyotes shot 52.6 percent as a team.
South Dakota entered the game as the fourth-ranked team in the nation and third-ranked team in the North Central Region. MSU was fourth in the same region.
The loss puts an end to a seven-game winning streak for the Mavericks.
The streak reached seven games following a 75-56 victory Thursday over North Dakota in Grand Forks.
Santos had a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds. Morrow scored 17 points, Whitaker had 10 points and Mitch Gosson added nine. Clark passed out a team-high six assists.
The Mavericks went ahead for good midway through the first half and maintained a strong hold on the lead throughout the second half.
Saturday's loss put an end to a three-game road trip that saw MSU pick up two victories.
"We wanted to get three, but we've still got to feel pretty good with some things," Schott said. "Atila Santos is playing outstanding, he's a double-double machine right now."
MSU returns home 8 p.m. Thursday against Minnesota-Duluth.
Chris Jagerson is a Reporter staff writer
Minnesota State shot just 32.9 percent from the field in a 80-61 loss to South Dakota in a North Central Conference men's basketball game Saturday at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion.
The Coyotes started the game on an 8-0 run and the Mavericks never caught up, trailing 41-30 at halftime.
Atila Santos' basket to open the second half got his team back within single digits at 41-32 and Preston Whitaker's jumper with 14:47 remaining made it 50-42, but that's as close as the Mavericks would get in the final 20 minutes. The Coyotes started a 10-1 run immediately after that.
"Offensively they can play care-free when they're up 10 or 15 at home," assistant coach Mike Schott said. "That makes it even tougher to guard them because they are so talented."
Whitaker scored a team-high 17 points and Santos and Jadee Jones each scored 14 points. Santos also grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds and was named co-NCC Player of the Week for his efforts. The 18 boards were the most by a player in the NCC this season.
The Mavericks as a team, however, didn't play so well. Jake Morrow shot just 1 of 14 from the field, including 0 for 7 from 3-point range. Marcus Hill shot 1 for 5 and Jesse Clark was 0 for 6.
"On nights that you aren't shooting the ball well, if you can get some easy buckets to get things going, that can jump start your offense," Schott said. "And we were never really able to get enough defensive stops to really jump start us by the way we shot the ball."
The Coyotes shot 52.6 percent as a team.
South Dakota entered the game as the fourth-ranked team in the nation and third-ranked team in the North Central Region. MSU was fourth in the same region.
The loss puts an end to a seven-game winning streak for the Mavericks.
The streak reached seven games following a 75-56 victory Thursday over North Dakota in Grand Forks.
Santos had a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds. Morrow scored 17 points, Whitaker had 10 points and Mitch Gosson added nine. Clark passed out a team-high six assists.
The Mavericks went ahead for good midway through the first half and maintained a strong hold on the lead throughout the second half.
Saturday's loss put an end to a three-game road trip that saw MSU pick up two victories.
"We wanted to get three, but we've still got to feel pretty good with some things," Schott said. "Atila Santos is playing outstanding, he's a double-double machine right now."
MSU returns home 8 p.m. Thursday against Minnesota-Duluth.
Chris Jagerson is a Reporter staff writer
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