Daum carries South Dakota State into Big Dance

[March 08, 2017]  Mike Daum turned in another monster performance to help South Dakota State land another bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 79-77 victory over Omaha in the Summit League championship game on Tuesday night at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Daum put up 37 points and 12 rebounds for fourth-seeded South Dakota State (16-16), which claimed its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years.

Chris Howell scored 12 points for the Jackrabbits. Reed Tellinghuisen had 11 points.

Tre'Shawn Thurman had 21 points and eight rebounds for third-seeded Omaha (16-14), which was seeking its first NCAA Tournament appearance in its second year of eligibility after transitioning to Division I.

Tra-Deon Hollins scored 18 points, Marcus Tyus had 17 and Mitchell Hahn added 14.

The Jackrabbits were trailing by two when Daum made a 3-pointer to give them the lead with 3:34 remaining. Another basket by Daum and a sweeping jump hook by Howell put the Jackrabbits up 77-72.

The Mavericks got within two on a 3-pointer by Hahn with just under a minute remaining, but a 3-pointer by Hollins missed as time expired.

Omaha led by as many as nine points in the first half before South Dakota State battled back. The Jackrabbits tied the score on a 3-pointer by Skyler Flatten and took a 27-26 lead on a 3-pointer by Tellinghuisen.

A three-point play and a driving floater by Daum helped the Jackrabbits carry a 37-31 advantage into the break.

Omaha opened the second half with a 9-0 run to take a 40-37 lead on a 3-pointer by Thurman. South Dakota State reclaimed the lead, but the Mavericks responded with an 8-0 run to go up 58-55 on a 3-pointer by Hollins. The Jackrabbits regained the lead on another three-point play by Howell, setting the stage for the dramatic final minutes.

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