Jon Mekonnen scores 18 to lead South Dakota State over Briar Cliff 71-49

BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) — Jon Mekonnen’s 18 points helped South Dakota State defeat Briar Cliff (Iowa) 71-49 on Friday night. Mekonnen went 8 of 11 from the field for the Jackrabbits (2-0). Davis Kern and Joe Sayler scored 10 points apiece with Sayler adding five steals. Jaxson Wingert finished with 15 points for the Chargers. Ryan Kleppe added eight points, seven rebounds and two steals. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.