Garry, Sayler help South Dakota State men's basketball beat ValparaisoPaul Cifonelli, Sioux Falls
Kalen Garry and Joe Sayler combined for 41 points at South Dakota State men's basketball opened up a 17-point halftime lead and cruised to an 81-69 home win over Valparaiso on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Garry scored 21 points on 6-for-12 shooting and Sayler followed with 20 points on 7-for-20 from the field. Each of them made a pair of 3-pointers, and Garry added six rebounds.
A 22-7 run over 5:27 of the first half helped the Jackrabbits get some separation. They never allowed Valparaiso to get closed than nine points once it became a double-digit game, and even led 76-56 with four minutes left in the game.
South Dakota State's defense caused problems for the Beacons, who shot just 37.7% (20-for-53) from the field. Valpo also went 6-for-30 (30.0%) from deep and made 23 of 35 free throws.
Jon Mekonnen and EJ Ryans followed Garry and Sayler in double figures, scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively. Ryans shot 4-for-5 from the field and also contributed five rebounds and four assists.
Alex Squires made his 2026-27 debut off the bench Wednesday, scoring seven points and grabbing seven boards in 24 minutes. Semaj Stampley was the only other Jackrabbit off the bench to play 10 minutes.
South Dakota State (3-0) will look to keep the hot start rolling at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at The Monument in Rapid City against Northern Colorado.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Garry, Sayler help South Dakota State men's basketball beat Valparaiso
Source: Sports
