Box Score | Listen to Archived Game

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Six Johnnies scored in double figures as host Saint John's defeated Hamline 82-68 on Wednesday, Jan. 26, in Collegeville.

Senior Sam Blank (Rollingstone, Minn./Winona Cotter), the 2009-10 MIAC Sixth Man of the Year, was true to form as he led SJU (8-8, 4-7 MIAC) with 19 points off the bench, including a 10-for-12 showing from the free-throw line. He tallied 20 points with a familiar 10-for-12 mark from the charity stripe in the 80-72 win over the Pipers in St. Paul Dec. 6.

Senior Aaron Burtzel (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) added 13 points and 15 rebounds for his 22nd career double-double and fourth consecutive against Hamline (9-8, 7-5 MIAC).

Juniors Aaron Barmore (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) and Andy Burns (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka), and senior Nermin Hujdurovic (Tuzla, Bosnia/Medical) added 12 points apiece. Senior Todd Herman (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer) rounded out the Johnnies' starting five with 11.

Noah Aguirre led Hamline with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Carl Hipp collected 12 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes.

SJU built a 17-point (42-25) halftime lead thanks to a 6-for-7 performance from three-point range. The Johnnies shot 57.1 percent (12-21) in the second half but were outscored 43-40 via Hamline's scoring advantage in second-chance points (7-3) and points off turnovers (13-6). The two teams combined for 34 turnovers in the game (SJU: 19; HU: 15).

The Johnnies led by as much as 21 with 15 minutes left, but went 5:44 without a field goal as the Pipers cut it to 10 with 6:45 left. SJU, however, made its final two shots and went 11-for-16 from the free-throw line in the final three minutes.

With the win, SJU head coach Jim Smith earned his 721st career victory (721-507 career record) and is now four wins shy of passing longtime DePaul head coach Ray Meyer for 23rd all-time in college basketball history. He is now 73-24 all-time against the Pipers, including a 40-9 record in Collegeville.

The Johnnies travel to face St. Olaf this Saturday, Jan. 29. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Northfield. SJU has won 18 of the last 24 meetings, but the Oles earned a 72-64 win in Collegeville earlier this season (Dec. 4).