BROOKINGS, S.D. - Western Illinois women's basketball was unable to hold off South Dakota State's late comeback, falling 83-79 inside Frost Arena on Saturday evening (Feb. 15).

The Leathernecks fell to 13-12, 5-5 in Summit League play, while the Jackrabbits improved to 19-8 and 10-1 in the conference.

Ashley Luke picked up her 16th double-double of the year and Tori Niemann added 17 points, six assists, five steals and four rebounds, but it wasn't enough for WIU to hand SDSU its first home loss in more than a year.

With Western leading 71-66 with four-and-a-half minutes remaining, the Jackrabbits went on a 14-2 burst to take an 80-73 advantage at the 1:50 mark.

The Leathernecks didn't quit, as Luke hit a pair of free throws to make it 80-75. After an SDSU layup, Luke came down to hit her own layup to cut the margin to 82-77 with 50 seconds left.

Luke then forced a steal and connected on another basket, bringing WIU within three points with 14 seconds to play.

Strong Leatherneck defense then forced the Jackrabbits to throw it away, getting WIU the ball back with 13 seconds.

Michelle Maher took a contested 3-point attempt with six seconds remaining, but it didn't fall and SDSU secured the rebound and the victory.

"It was a great battle. I thought we played well enough to put ourselves in a position to win," head coach JD Gravina said. "[South Dakota State is] tough to beat here at Frost Arena, and obviously anywhere. It's good to know we can play at that level, but it's heartbreaking to lose another close one."

The four-point margin was tied for SDSU's closest win at home this year, as the Jackrabbits also beat No. 12-ranked Penn State 83-79 in December.

Luke finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals after having just one point and two boards at the half.

Marley Hall scored 14 points off the bench and Liz Skotowski added nine first-half points on a trio of triples.

Maher finished with 11 points, while Sophie Reichelt matched her career high with five boards, also scoring four points. Rebecca Henricson had four points and four assists.

Western shot well from the floor (30-of-58, 51.7 percent), but struggled from the charity stripe (12-of-24, 50 percent). The Jackrabbits went 28-of-64 (43.8 percent) from the field and 20-of-26 (76.9 percent) from the free-throw line.

After committing 12 turnovers in the first half, WIU committed just five in the second half.

Five players scored in double figures for SDSU: Mariah Clarin (14), Steph Paluch (14), Tara Heiser (14), Gabby Boever (10) and Kerri Young (10). South Dakota State's leading scorer, Megan Waytashek, exited the game early in the first half after suffering an injury.

Western took a 35-34 lead over SDSU into the break, marking just the second time this season the Jackrabbits trailed at home at halftime.

After two Jackrabbit free throws to open the second half, Luke scored seven points during a 15-7 WIU run which put the Leathernecks ahead 50-42.

The remainder of the half was back-and-forth with three ties before SDSU eventually grabbed the lead for good.

In the program's single season history, Luke moved from eighth to fifth in points (486), eighth to fifth in rebounding (264), and 11th to seventh in field goals made (168).

This was the first time Western Illinois played a close game inside Frost Arena, as South Dakota State won each of the previous six meetings by at least 25 points.

Western Illinois will look to rebound at home on Thursday, playing host to Denver at 7 p.m. inside Western Hall.