SDSU men fall to George Mason on last-second shot
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Despite a 22-point effort from Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State men’s basketball suffered its second-straight one-possession loss on Monday night.
George Mason’s Keyshawn Hall buried a game-winning jumper with three seconds remaining, and the Jackrabbits fell 73-71 in their final game of the Jacksonville Classic.
SDSU, which lost to UCF 83-80 on Sunday, grabbed a 71-69 lead on a Luke Appel layup with 1:00 remaining. However, a pair of Patriots free throws, followed by a turnover from Mayo, set up the go-ahead shot.
Mayo, who notched a game-high in points, was 9-of-20 shooting, and added 12 rebounds and five assists. William Kyle III scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, and Appel had 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
Struggles at the free-throw line proved costly for the Jacks, as they connected on just 5-of-12 attempts. SDSU was 48.3 percent from the field, and 38.1 percent from 3-point range.
The game was tight throughout, with the Jackrabbits taking a 36-34 lead into halftime. From the 16:41 mark to 7:22 mark of the second half, George Mason went on a 16-9 run to lead 58-53. SDSU chipped away, though, and a 3-pointer by Mayo tied the game at 69 with 2:06 remaining.
George Mason was led by Hall, who had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Darius Maddox, who scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
SDSU (1-4) continues its road trip to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where the Jacks will face Southern Mississippi at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
