Jenkins leads Jackrabbits past Iowa 80-72 (Nov 21, 2017)
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) Freshman David Jenkins Jr. scored a season-high 23 points, including big baskets down the stretch, and South Dakota State fended off Iowa 80-72 in a consolation-bracket semifinal at the Cayman Islands Classic on Tuesday.
Tevin King, a junior, added a career-high 16 points with seven rebounds and five steals. Reed Tellinghuisen scored 15 points and Mike Daum 10. The Jackrabbits, preseason favorites in the Summit League, shot 44 percent but were 10 of 20 from the arc and 16 of 19 from the free-throw line.
Isaiah Moss' basket got the Hawkeyes within 66-64 with 3 1/2 minutes left but Jenkins' hit a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play, and King added a layup with two minutes left for a 74-66 lead. The Jackrabbits made 6 of 8 free throws from there to hold off the Hawkeyes.
The Jackrabbits (4-2) led 36-33 at halftime but Moss tied it with a 3-pointer in the first minute of the second half. Jenkins gave the Jackrabbits the lead for good at 54-52 with a basket with 12 minutes to go. South Dakota State gradually built an eight-point lead with 8 1/2 minutes left but then went nearly four minutes without scoring with Ahmad Wagner drawing the Hawkeyes, 63-62, within a point with a 3-pointer before King ended the drought with a layup and free throw.
The victory was South Dakota State's fourth in 11 meetings with Iowa and seventh against a Power Five school since joining the Summit League in 2007.
Moss led Iowa (3-2) with 18 points, Jack Nunge added 14 and Tyler Cook and Wagner 11 apiece. Luka Garza grabbed 10 rebounds while Jordan Bohannon dished seven assists. The Hawkeyes shot 51 percent but committed 15 turnovers that led to 25 points.
''We have to be better, get better, and even though we have a young team, we have to play like a veteran team in close games late,'' Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. ''We didn't do that yesterday or today. We made runs, were right there and could have won either game, but we didn't win either game. You have to understand what you have to do in those situations better. That's execute; good teams execute their stuff.
''We have been talking about our defense and how we haven't been as connected as we need to be. That's true, but we weren't connected offensively. We moved the ball, kind of executed, and didn't execute other times. When you're behind, you have to execute every time you get the ball and be connected every time they get the ball.''
South Dakota State will play for fifth place on Wednesday while Iowa will try to end a two-game losing streak in the game for seventh place.
