The Johnnies (1-1, 0-0 MIAC) return to action with a pair of games in the Chicago area this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 27-28. SJU travels to face Aurora (Ill.) for a 3 p.m. game Saturday, followed by a 3 p.m. tip-off at the University of Chicago Sunday. - Listen Live (Both Games) | Aurora: Live Stats, Watch Live | Chicago: Live Stats, Watch Live

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: The Johnnies fell to top-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 78-51, last Saturday, Nov. 20.  SJU shot 50 percent from the field but went 7:51 without a field goal, including the final 5:23 of the first half. The defending NCAA Division III champions scored 24 points off the Johnnies' 19 turnovers and held a 32-18 scoring advantage in the paint. SJU held a six-point lead 10 minutes into the game, but the Pointers closed the first half with a 13-2 run bolstered by five SJU turnovers and a 5-for7 shooting performance, including three treys. Senior Sam Blank (Rollingstone, Minn./Winona Cotter) led all scorers with 15 points, while senior Aaron Burtzel (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) added nine points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals. Freshman Seth Marx (Maple Grove, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) tallied nine points off the bench, all on three pointers. Jerrel Harris led four Pointers in double figures with 14 points.

A LOOK AT THE SPARTANS: Aurora (1-2) dropped a pair of games following its 98-66 exhibition loss against Division I Valparaiso. The Spartans lost a close 78-76 decision at No. 4 Illinois Wesleyan in their season opener, and then a 107-78 contest against Buena Vista (Iowa), five days after the Beavers lost to Gustavus, 95-81. Aurora earned its first win of the season, 66-59, at North Central (Ill.) Nov. 23. Sophomore forward Ryan Crow is averaging 18 points per game, followed by sophomore guard Mike Bumber with 14.3 points per game. Saturday's matchup is the first meeting between SJU and Aurora.

A LOOK AT THE MAROONS: Chicago is currently 1-3, including two one-point losses. The Maroons lost their most recent game, a 76-58 decision at Lake Forest (Ill.), Nov. 23. Junior forward Steve Stefanou (6-8, 240 lbs.) leads the team with 13 points per game, followed by juniors Matt Johnson (12.5 ppg.) and Tom Williams (11.3 ppg.).

THE LAST MEETING: Todd Herman's three-pointer with 21 seconds remaining gave SJU its first lead of the game and proved to be the game-winner in the Johnnies' last and only other meeting with Chicago (64-61) on Dec. 14, 2008, in Collegeville. A three-pointer by the Maroons' Jake Pancratz gave the visitors a six-point lead (61-55) with 1:24 left. After two free throws from junior Andy Burns (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka), senior Chris Schwartz (Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln) stole the ball from Pancratz at the top of the key and took it for a layup to cut the deficit to 61-59 in favor of Chicago. Pancratz then missed a three-pointer on the ensuing possession which set up Herman's game-winner with 21 seconds left in regulation. Burns then added two free throws to seal the win for SJU. Schwartz led SJU with 19 points and nine rebounds, including four three-pointers. Herman and Burns added 12 points each. Chicago, which led by as many as 16 points late in the first half, dropped its fifth game by three points or less. Matt Corning led the Maroons with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Pancratz added 18.