Jackrabbits separate in second half of 102-86 Tommie loss

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A career high 23 points from Drake Dobbs helped St. Thomas men's basketball during a tough road test before South Dakota State separated in the second half of a 102-86 loss Thursday night in front of a crowd of 3,144 at First Bank & Trust Arena.

The Tommies (18-7, 8-2 Summit League) led by as many as nine points early, 16-7, as Dobbs added 14 points in the first half. The Purple shot 56.7 percent overall (17-30) over the opening 20 minutes and took a 42-41 lead over the Jackrabbits (16-9, 7-3 Summit League), marking the first loss of the season when leading at the half (17-1).

The Jacks made their first three field goals of the second half and held off the Tommies the rest of the way. Despite the Purple sticking around with SDSU by one point, 67-66, off one of Dobbs' three 3-pointers midway through the second half, the Jackrabbits went on a 12-2 run for its first double-digit lead of the night. St. Thomas went 0-of-4 from the field with one turnover during the deciding stretch.

SDSU, who improved to 11-0 at home this season and 20-1 over its last 21 in Brookings, S.D., scored 61 points in the second half for the most allowed by St. Thomas in a half this season. Although St. Thomas recorded five fewer offensive rebounds, South Dakota State outscored the Purple on second chance points, 19-4. The Jacks also outscored the Tommies' bench, 27-14.

TOMMIE TIDBITS

St. Thomas allowed over 100 points for the second time this season after not allowing a 100-point game through its first three seasons of the DI era.
SDSU's 59.6 percent shooting overall is the most allowed by St. Thomas since Nov. 26, 2022 at Utah (60.0 percent).
The Tommies are now 0-4 all-time at First Bank & Trust Arena.
Drake Dobbs' career high 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting topped his previous high of 19 points set Dec. 29, 2024 at UC Riverside. He added four rebounds and one assist while making 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.
All five Tommie starters scored at least 10 points, including Miles Barnstable with 14 on 3-of-5 shooting, Kendall Blue with 13 on 5-of-10, Nolan Minessale with 12 on 4-of-7 and Carter Bjerke with 10 on 3-of-9, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range. Bjerke, Dobbs and Minessale all led the team with four rebounds while Blue led with four assists.

UP NEXT
St. Thomas rounds out its road weekend Saturday, Feb. 8 with a 3 p.m. CT tip-off at Denver.

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-- St. Thomas Athletics --

Jackrabbits separate in second half of 102-86 Tommie loss

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Team Stats

Drake Dobbs

Miles Barnstable

Kendall Blue

Nolan Minessale

Players Mentioned

Miles Barnstable

Carter Bjerke

Kendall Blue

Drake Dobbs

Nolan Minessale

University of St. Thomas Athletics