Appel scores 18, South Dakota State beats Oral Roberts in Summit League Tournament 79-63

Updated: Mar 10, 2024, 03:26 am

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- — Luke Appel had 18 points in No. 1 seed South Dakota State's 79-63 victory against Oral Roberts on Saturday night in the Summit League Tournament.

South Dakota State plays the winner between fifth-seeded St. Thomas and No. 4 seed North Dakota State in the semifinals on Monday.

Appel shot 5 of 6 from the field and 7 for 8 from the free-throw line for the Jackrabbits (20-12). William Kyle III scored 16 points while finishing 7 of 12 from the floor and added nine rebounds. Zeke Mayo had 15 points and went 6 of 13 from the field (1 for 5 from 3-point range).

The Golden Eagles (12-19) were led by Issac McBride, who recorded 20 points. Kareem Thompson added 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals for No. 8 seed Oral Roberts. Jailen Bedford also recorded 15 points. The loss was the Golden Eagles' seventh in a row.

South Dakota State took the lead with 7:52 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 38-21 at halftime, with Mayo racking up 13 points. South Dakota State pulled away with a 7-0 run in the second half to extend a six-point lead to 13 points. They were outscored by Oral Roberts in the second half by a one-point margin, but still wound up on top, as Appel led the way with a team-high 15 second-half points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.