LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Andy Moeller scored 22 of his 24 points in the second half Sunday as South Dakota State University rallied to defeat Northern Kentucky University, 91-76, at the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic.
Moeller, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, converted 14 of 15 free throws and also added five assists as the unbeaten Jackrabbits (3-0) overcame an 11-point deficit in the first half. NKU (1-2) built a 29-18 lead with 2:50 remaining before halftime, but South Dakota State closed the half with a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to 31-25 at the break.
Mike Kelsey scored 10 of his 23 points in the first half for NKU, which limited South Dakota State to 30 percent shooting from the field before halftime. Marquise Richardson scored 14 points in the first 20 minutes to keep the Jackrabbits close.
In the second half, South Dakota State used a 12-0 run to turn a 50-50 tie into a 62-50 advantage. The Jackrabbits shot 65 percent from the field in the second half and scored 66 points during the final 20 minutes.
“South Dakota State is a veteran, talented team, and they really shot the ball well in the second half,” NKU head coach Ken Shields said. “We played with them for most of the game, but they just hit a lot of big shots and they also made their free throws.”
South Dakota State made 38 of 50 free throws, including 34 of 38 in the second half. The Jackrabbits won the rebounding battle by a 44-34 margin.
Jesse Rupe scored 15 points for NKU, which finished 1-2 at the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic. Richardson finished with 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals for South Dakota State, which is ranked No. 15 nationally in the Division II poll.
“We have some work to do, but we faced three very good teams and our players competed very hard in this tournament,” Shields said.
Brian Lewin, Adam Howell and Kevin Reinhardt all scored seven points for NKU, which made 9 of 25 attempts from three-point range. For the game, NKU shot 35.1 percent from the field.
NKU will return home and resume play at 7:45 p.m. Nov. 21 against Gannon (Pa.) University in the first round of the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic in Regents Hall.
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Brian Lewin |