Summit League basketball: Mesa Byom's career day carries South Dakota State women past Omaha
Feb. 17—BROOKINGS — Mesa Byom has been arguably the Summit League's most improved player this season, and Saturday against the Omaha Mavericks she took it to a new level.
The 6-foot-2 junior center scored a career-high 20 points, easily exceeding her previous personal best of 14, and added 10 rebounds for her first career double-double, leading the Jackrabbits to a 79-57 win that marked their 14th in a row and improved them to 12-0 in Summit League action.
Byom was 6-of-7 from the floor and 6-of-8 at the line, hit her only 3-point attempt and her 10 boards contributed to the Jacks' 41-27 edge on the glass.
It was the eighth time this season Byom has scored in double figures. She had one such game in her career coming into this year.
"It definitely feels good," Byom said. "Just trying to get that confidence and I feel like the team has been playing reall well together and when you play all together for each other good things happen."
The Jacks needed her contributions on Saturday to keep the Mavs and their point guard, Grace Cave, at bay. Cave had 25 points and was a constant pest on defense with six steals, and that helped the Mavs, who were coming off an upset of USD, stay within shouting distance. But ultimately the Jacks were just too much.
Brooklyn Meyer stuffed the box score with 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks, while Madison Mathiowetz had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Tori Nelson eight points, five assists and four boards.
Still it was Byom's effort that stood out. She began the season coming off the bench to spell Meyer, but since moving into the starting lineup due to injuries she's not only improved her production but clearly gained confidence. She starts at the four (power forward), but can slide over to the five (center) when Meyer comes out. Her diverse set of skills have allowed her to do so rather flawlessly.
"It's exciting to see her do well," coach Aaron Johnston said. "You have to have ability and talent but you also have to have an opportunity. And not every opportunity comes when you want it or how you want it, and Mesa has been working hard for years to get this opportunity and she's making the most of it."
Byom's 20 points bump her season average to 7.4 to go with 6.1 rebounds. Omaha's players seemed to react with surprise when Byom drained a corner 3, just her third of the season, but Johnston has been steadfastly insisting for awhile that is a weapon Byom possesses. Every game that she produces, whether it's blocking shots, making shots or proving she has the athleticism to step out and defend on the perimeter, she proves to herself and her teammates that she's capable of being one of the top frontcourt players in the Summit League. That helps take pressure off of Meyer and whoever else the Jacks are trying to get open for shots.
"We're seeing so many (double teams) right now — Brooklyn doen'st get many free one-on-one looks," Johnston said. "Mesa's really learning how to play with Brooklyn. How to cut, when to cut — there's a timing with that, a rhythm, and Brooklyn is such a good passer. Mesa is finding those open gaps and as that continues to happen it will open up more shots on the permieter."
