South Dakota

Oscar Cluff's big day carries South Dakota State past Oral Roberts

Published

1 year ago

January 19, 2025

Oscar Cluff's big day carries South Dakota State past Oral Roberts

BROOKINGS — Saturday’s Summit League battle between South Dakota State and Oral Roberts pitted two of the conference’s best and most exciting players against one another, and Isaac McBride of ORU and the Jackrabbits’ Oscar Cluff offered signature performances.

But it was Cluff and SDSU that came away victorious, with the Jackrabbits controlling the action most of the day in an 84-70 win in front of a matinee crowd of 3,681 at First Bank & Trust Arena.

It was SDSU’s second straight win after two straight losses, and Cluff’s very big fingerprints were all over it.

The 6-foot-11 Aussie scored 21 points on 11 shots while grabbing a career-high 20 rebounds and dishing a team-high four assists, continuing to establish himself as one of the premier bigs in the country.

Oscar Cluff goes up for a dunk against Oral Roberts on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 in Brookings.

Dave Bordewyk, SDNMA

“He gave us a great boost,” said freshman guard Owen Larson, who had 10 points and five rebounds. “Really brought the energy from the get-go, rebounded at a high level and when he does that it gets the rest of us going.”

The Jacks scored the first nine points of the game but ORU quickly fought back, using a 14-2 run to take a three-point lead which would be their biggest of the day. The teams mostly traded blows the rest of the first half before a strong finish allowed SDSU to take a 41-35 lead into the break. They quickly pushed the advantage into double digits early in the second, and ORU never got closer than eight after that.

Joe Sayler had 17 points for the Jacks (12-8, 3-2), while Matthew Mors and Kalen Garry had 11 apiece.

SDSU’s Matthew Mors goes up for a dunk on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 against Oral Roberts in Brookings.

Meanwhile McBride was outstanding for the Golden Eagles (5-13, 1-4), scoring a game-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, though Jacks coach Eric Henderson said his team defended him well enough.

“It was just a matter of time before he hit some shots,” Henderson said of the preseason conference player of the year. “I know he had 26 but I thought he earned all of ’em. He’s just a terrific player. He’s gonna get shots. You can’t take all of his stuff away. Our effort was pretty good.”

Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at mzimmer@siouxfallslive.com.

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South Dakota

Retired Air Force four-star general Maryanne Miller speaks at South Dakota Mines

Published

3 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Retired Air Force four-star general Maryanne Miller speaks at South Dakota Mines

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Students at South Dakota Mines heard Wednesday from retired four-star general Maryanne Miller about her journey to the highest ranks of the U.S. military.

Miller is a retired four-star U.S. Air Force general. She is the only member of the Air Force Reserve ever to be promoted to this level.

She spoke about finding greatness and living a life of fulfillment. Her stories came from her time in the Air Force and as a volunteer for Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s Missionaries of Charity.

“We so much get focused on what is our next step in life, what’s the next career move, how do we make ourselves better in our career, and we forget about how do we make ourselves better as a human being,” Miller said. “Because they have to go tandem. If it’s not tandem, you’re going to get off track.”

Miller was commissioned in 1981 and rose through the ranks before becoming a four-star general in 2018. She was the only woman serving as a four-star officer in the military at the time. She retired in 2020 after serving for almost 40 years.

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South Dakota

USDA to offer distaster assistance to South Dakota agriculture producers impacted by winter storms

Published

15 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

USDA to offer distaster assistance to South Dakota agriculture producers impacted by winter storms

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering financial and technical assistance to South Dakota farmers and livestock producers who may have been impacted by the recent winter storms.

“I encourage impacted producers to contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.” said Richard Fordyce, Production and Conservation Under Secretary.

FSA’s Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners with financial assistance to restore damaged land and conservation structures or forests.

“Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to make assessments of the damages and develop methods that focus on effective recovery of the land.” said Jessica Michalski, Acting NRCS State Conservationist in South Dakota.

For more information about the disaster assistance program, click here.

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South Dakota

Plaque unveiled at South Dakota Capitol for 100-year-old Medal of Honor recipient

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Plaque unveiled at South Dakota Capitol for 100-year-old Medal of Honor recipient

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, left, and Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen unveil a plaque for retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams in the Hall of Honor at the Capitol in Pierre on March 25, 2026. (Photo by Meghan O’Brien/South Dakota Searchlight)

By:Meghan O’Brien

PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) — There’s a new name in the South Dakota Hall of Honor at the state Capitol building.

One-hundred-year-old South Dakota native and retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams was celebrated at a Wednesday ceremony where a plaque honoring him was unveiled, although Williams did not attend.

“In spite of being outnumbered and facing incredible danger, Captain Williams engaged the enemy with courage and skill,” said Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden. “Our state has always had a strong tradition of service, and Captain Williams is the very best of that tradition.”

President Donald Trump awarded Williams the Medal of Honor, the country’s highest military honor, at the State of the Union address earlier this year. The medal honors actions by Williams that had been classified for decades.

“His story was secret for over 50 years, he didn’t even want to tell his wife, but the legend grew and grew,” Trump said during the speech in February. “But tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves.”

On Nov. 18, 1952, over Korean coastal waters during the Korean War, then-Lt. Williams, from Wilmot, South Dakota, led three F9F Panthers against seven Soviet MiG-15s. He disabled three enemy jets and damaged a fourth.

The Soviet jets, according to the U.S. Naval Institute, were “superior to the F9F in almost every fashion.” The mission was the only direct overwater combat between U.S. Navy fighters and Soviet fighters during the Cold War.

Williams, one of 11 Medal of Honor recipients from South Dakota, now lives in California. The Hall of Honor at the South Dakota Capitol is located in the hallway that visitors enter immediately after going through security.

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