SJU (3-2, 0-0 MIAC) begins MIAC play by hosting Bethel (2-1, 0-0 MIAC) this Wednesday, Dec. 2. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Sexton Arena in Collegeville. - Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats
Preview Video:
-Head Coach Jim Smith (4:03)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: The Johnnies come into tonight's MIAC season opener riding a three-game winning streak. SJU defeated No. 24 Wis.-Oshkosh 79-71 on Nov. 21 in Oshkosh with four starters scoring 14 or points or more. Junior Aaron Burtzel (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) scored a season-high 18 points to go along with his 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the young season. Junior Chris Schwartz (Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln) followed with 17 points, while sophomores Aaron Barmore (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) and Andy Burns (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) added 15 and 14 points, respectively. D.J. Marsh, a preseason All-America candidate, led all scorers with 28 points to lead the Titans. SJU defeated Wis.-Eau Claire 68-66 the previous night. SJU was led by junior Nermin Hujdurovic (Tuzla, Bosnia/Medical), who posted his first career double-double with a game- and career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. Burns followed with 12 points, including the game-winning layup with 4.4 seconds remaining. Barmore added 10 points, while Burtzel and sophomore Andrew Latzke (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) tallied eight points and nine boards apiece. Geoff Probst led the Blugolds with 20 points on the night. UWEC led by as much as 15 with 16 minutes left before SJU went on a 39-22 run to end the contest. The Johnnies shot 59.3 percent in the second half, a far cry from the .280 shooting percentage in the game's first 20 minutes.
A LOOK AT THE ROYALS: The Royals come into Wednesday's matchup with a 2-1 record in non-conference play. They are led by senior guard Chris Vavra, who is averaging 15.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Sophomore forward J.D. Robinson is second on the team in scoring with 13.5 points per game and senior center Nate Robertson leads the squad with 5.0 rebounds per game. As a team, BU is averaging 78 points per game, a .511 shooting percentage and is holding its opponents to just 53.3 points per game.
LAST SEASON'S MATCHUPS: Saint John's went 1-1 last season against the Bethel. The Johnnies opened up their MIAC schedule with an 81-73 win over the Royals on Dec. 3, 2008, in Arden Hills. SJU was led by Burns who scored his first 20-point game of his career, as he finished the night with 24 points and eight assists. Schwartz and Latzke added 18 and 16 points, respectively. The Royals were led by Robertson and Tim Madson with 17 points apiece. The Johnnies finished the game shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 61.1 percent from behind the arc. - Box Score
The Royals won the rematch 78-62 on Jan. 21, 2009, in Collegeville. The Johnnies made just 32.9 percent of their shot attempts and were out-rebounded 47-30 in the game. SJU was led by Cole Isetts with 14 points, as well as Burtzel and Barmore with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Bethel shot 62.1 percent in the first half and was led by Mike Moberg with 21 points as five different Royals scored in double figures. - Box Score
