For the fourth time in six years, South Dakota State is dancing.
The No. 4 seed Jackrabbit men’s basketball program claimed a 79-77 slugfest victory over No. 3 seed Omaha in Tuesday’s Summit League Tournament Championship to earn an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
Playing in front of 9,441 fans, SDSU (18-16) hit 48.3 percent of its field goals and finished the game 13 of 14 at the charity stripe. The Jacks were strong on the boards with a plus-19 rebounding margin, including a 24-9 advantage in second half rebounds.
Tournament MVP Mike Daum and Chris Howell combined for 36 of State’s 42 second-half points, leading the way on a team that offset 19 turnovers with 25 second-chance points.
Daum posted his ninth double-double of the year with 37 total points and 12 rebounds, while Chris Howell scored 12 points and Reed Tellinghuisen added 11.
