Anytime South Dakota and South Dakota State get together for a rivalry matchup, its must see action for those that call our great state home.

That was the case on Saturday, when both Men’s and Women’s hoops collided.

First, the Women took to the court down in Vermillion, where SDSU dominated to the tune of a 77-59 win.

Later in the afternoon, the Men’s programs locked horns up in Brookings, where the Jackrabbits prevailed in a 90-71 onslaught.

Per GoJacks.com:

A balanced scoring effort lifted the Jackrabbits as seven players scored at least six points each. Brooklyn Meyer and Haleigh Timmer paced the offense with 15 apiece, followed by Mesa Byom with 13 and Katie Vasecka with 12. Paige Meyer and Madison Mathiowetz finished with eight each, followed by Emilee Fox with six.

SDSU got six quick points from Byom and opened up an 11-4 lead over the Coyotes in the first 4:30 on action. A 16-0 stretch that included eight straight from Mathiowetz stretched the score to 27-8 late in the opening quarter. The Coyotes scored nine straight in the second period to pull back within seven, but a Vasecka triple made it a 10-point game again and the Coyotes never got back within single digits. A 17-2 start to the second half made it 65-38 for the Jacks and the visitors cruised from there.

As for the Men’s game:

South Dakota State controlled its matchup against South Dakota from the opening possession as the Jackrabbits earned a 90-71 victory over the Coyotes on Saturday, Jan. 25, in First Bank & Trust Arena. The Interstate Series game, presented by First Interstate Bank, was played in front of a facility-record 4,764 spectators.

South Dakota State improved to 14-8 overall and 5-2 in conference play. South Dakota dropped to 12-10 (3-4).

The Jackrabbits had five double-digit scorers in the contest. Garry led all scorers with 19 points while he grabbed a career-best nine boards. Larson and Stoney Hadnot scored career highs of 18 and 14, respectively. Oscar Cluff finished off his 14th double-double of the season with 11 points and 14 rebounds, to go along with a career-high seven assists. Mors registered 10 points.

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The two programs will meet again later this season. The Women tussle on Saturday, February 15th in Brookings, while the Men’s programs collide in Vermillion that Sunday, February 16th.

Source: GoJacks

BROOKINGS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – South Dakota State controlled its matchup against South Dakota from the opening possession as the Jackrabbits earned a 90-71 victory over the Coyotes on Saturday, Jan. 25, in First Bank & Trust Arena. The Interstate Series game, presented by First Interstate Bank, was played in front of a facility-record 4,764 spectators.

SDSU’s Owen Larson connected on a 3-pointer less than 30 seconds into the clash. A Kalen Garry layup and another Larson trey put the Jackrabbits ahead 8-0 with just over two minutes off the clock. South Dakota cut the margin to 10-5 at the 16:50 mark of the first half, but a Garry 3-pointer on the Jackrabbits’ ensuing possession thwarted any opportunity for the Yotes.

A Matthew Mors 3-pointer pushed the SDSU advantage to 19-7 with 14:38 remaining in the first half. The Jackrabbit lead wouldn’t dip into single digits again.

An Isaac Lindsey 3-pointer pushed SDSU ahead to 37-15, the Jackrabbits’ largest advantage of the first half, with 6:27 to play in the opening 20 minutes. South Dakota State eventually went into halftime up 49-32.

USD continued its attempt to rally back. A pair of Quandre Bullock free throws cut the Coyote deficit to 12, 57-45, with 14:23 to go. The Jackrabbits halted any comeback at that point, pushing the edge back to 20-plus points just under the nine-minute mark.

Garry drained a 3-pointer to give SDSU its largest lead of the game of 25 points with 3:12 remaining. South Dakota State emptied its bench for the rest of the contest as the Jacks went on to complete a 19-point victory over the Coyotes.

South Dakota State improved to 14-8 overall and 5-2 in conference play. South Dakota dropped to 12-10 (3-4).

The Jackrabbits had five double-digit scorers in the contest. Garry led all scorers with 19 points while he grabbed a career-best nine boards. Larson and Stoney Hadnot scored career highs of 18 and 14, respectively. Oscar Cluff finished off his 14th double-double of the season with 11 points and 14 rebounds, to go along with a career-high seven assists. Mors registered 10 points.

South Dakota, the nation’s fifth-highest-scoring offense averaging over 86 points per game, was held to 71. The Yotes had three players score 11 points and two record 10 apiece. Mayuom Byom had a team-high seven rebounds.

NOTES:

• South Dakota State made five of its first six three 3-pointers. The Jacks were eventually 12 of 31 (38.7%) from 3-point range while they held the Yotes to a 4-for-24 clip (16.7%). SDSU also outshot USD 48-38% from the field. 
• The Jackrabbits had a 49-31 rebounding edge as well as a 15-6 difference in assists.
• South Dakota State has now won 18 of 20 in Brookings against South Dakota during the 21st century. The Jackrabbits have won nine consecutive games in the Interstate Series. That span is tied for the longest between the two programs since a nine-game win streak for SDSU during a stretch between the years 1920-23.
• The 4,764 fans are the most for an event ever in First Bank & Trust Arena. In the midst of its inaugural year of events, the previously facility high was 4,582 when the South Dakota State women’s basketball team hosted Duke earlier this season.

UP NEXT: The Jackrabbits go on the road for two consecutive games. SDSU opens up a road trip north on I-29 by taking on North Dakota State in Fargo on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m.

Copyright 2025 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – After a confirmation hearing that was civil and less contentious than other recent hearings, it seemed all but a guarantee that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s nomination would be confirmed. That became a reality on Saturday with a favorable 59-34 vote that even received approval from seven Democrats.

It took Senate Republicans breaking a filibuster to get it done, but an early morning vote made Kristi Noem just the second South Dakotan to be selected for a Presidential cabinet position.

In her confirmation hearing, Noem promised to work on making America safer by securing the southern border and combatting terrorism.

“As we face the evolving threats of the 21st century, the mission and the success of DHS is more critical than ever,” Noem said on January 17th. “We must be vigilant and proactive and innovative to protect the homeland.”

Many South Dakotans like U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson congratulated Noem on the new position.

“I’ve seen Kristi make good decisions in times of adversity and disaster, and I know she will continue to showcase her strong South Dakota work ethic in her new role,” Representative Johnson said on X.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune also shared praise for Noem.

“I know she’s ready to get to work for President Trump and the American people,” Senator Thune shared on X.

On social media, Senator Mike Rounds wished Noem the best and said, “South Dakota is punching above its weight, a true testament to our people.”

Following her confirmation, Noem herself took to social media to thank President Donald Trump for his confidence in her and repeated he promise to work on making America safe.

Her resignation letter soon followed and with that Lt. Governor Larry Rhoden officially became the 34th Governor of South Dakota as anticipated. In a release, he shared insights about his transition.

“Until now, I have kept my extensive preparations for this succession to myself,” said Governor Rhoden. “I would have loved to have spoken openly sooner, but the time was not yet appropriate. South Dakotans should rest assured that I’m ready to serve as your Governor.”

Many officials congratulated the new Governor. South Dakota Attorney General shared his connection to Rhoden in a release.

“I have known Larry since he welded our ranch branding irons more than a quarter of a century ago, and I have appreciated serving with him during the years,” Jackley said. “As Attorney General, I look forward to continuing to work with him to make our State the best in the Nation.”

Representative Johnson also congratulated the Governor and praised his character.

“Larry has a proven record of serving our state. I trust he will do a great job leading and I look forward to working with him to keep South Dakota great.”

Governor Rhoden also posted a heartfelt reflection on assuming the new role on X.

Rhoden said he held months of briefings and meetings with Noem and many other current and former state officials in preparation for the new title. They began to plan this succession shortly after President Trump nominated Noem in November.

While Rhoden officially became Governor per the South Dakota constitution right away, details on the succession and swearing-in ceremony have yet to be announced.

Copyright 2025 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.