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Purdue Fort Wayne
South Dakota State
Mastodons' Season Ends in Quarterfinals, 85-75
3/6/2011 10:11:31 PM | Men's Basketball
Box Score | Photo Gallery
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Nate Wolters scored 30 points and South Dakota State scored its last 14 points at the free throw line as the Jackrabbits held off a frantic IPFW rally to defeat the Mastodons 85-75 in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Basketball Championships Sunday night.
Early on, it looked like SDSU's third victory of the season over IPFW wouldn't be all that difficult. IPFW took a 2-0 lead on a jumper by Frank Gaines before the Jacks ran off 13 unanswered points.
And with 3:55 to play in the half, SDSU was on top 41-21 following a layup and free throw by Wolters.
But IPFW closed the half with an 8-2 run and then opened the second half with baskets by Trey McCorkle and John Peckinpaugh to cut the margin to 43-33.
IPFW inched within four, at 66-62, on layup by Gaines, but Dale Moss countered with a layup for the Jacks before Wolters hit a three-pointer for SDSU's last field goal of the game, making it 71-62 with three minutes to play.
From that point on, the Jacks made 14-of-18 free throws, eight of them by Wolters, to hold on for the victory.
IPFW had a 29-25 advantage in field goals and out-shot the Jacks from the field 48 percent (29-of-61) to 45 percent (25-of-56) but SDSU went to the line 42 times, hitting 29 including 21-of-31 in the second half.
Wolters alone was 14-of-19 at the line while Dale Moss made 7-of-12 enroute to his 21 points. Moss hit 7-of-8 field goal attempts. Clint Sargent added 14 points and led the team in rebounds with nine while Jordan Dykstra added 10 points.
SDSU got to the line 22 times more than IPFW, SDSU also suffered problems of its own, losing Dykstra and Griffan Callahan to fouls in the closing minutes. Dykstra logged just 17 minutes.
Gaines led IPFW with a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double while Ben Botts and McCorkle scored 16 each and Peckinpaugh finished with 11.
SDSU improved to 19-11 for the season and now face top-seed Oakland (23-9) in the 6 p.m. semifinal game Monday.
IPFW ends its season 18-12.
