Saint John's (2-1 overall) begins conference play at Augsburg (2-0 overall) this Wednesday, Nov. 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis. – Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats/Live Video
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's erased a 14-point halftime deficit to upset No. 24 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 60-55 in the Johnnies' home opener Nov. 22 in Collegeville. The Pointers shot 55.6 percent (15-for-27) in the first half, including 6-for-8 from behind the arc, to post a 38-24 lead at the half. The momentum shifted drastically in the second half, however, as the Johnnies forced 12 UWSP turnovers and held the visitors to just 2-for-17 (11.8 percent) from the field. The Johnnies opened the second half with a 19-5 run to tie the game at 43-43. The Pointers' Tyler Tillema answered with five straight points, but SJU clawed back with a 12-2 run, thanks to four three-pointers, to take a 55-50 lead with 2:18 remaining. The Johnnies made seven of 10 three-pointers in the game's final 20 minutes and scored 30 points off 17 Pointer turnovers in the game. Senior Aaron Barmore (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) and sophomore Kevin McKenzie (De Pere, Wis./Notre Dame Academy) led SJU with 13 points apiece, while sophomore Seth Marx (Maple Grove, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) added 11 points. Ten of McKenzie's career-high 13 points came in the second half. Junior Chris Neumann (Winsted, Minn./Holy Trinity) totaled seven points and seven rebounds (four offensive) off the bench.
WINS WATCH: With last Tuesday's win, SJU head coach Jim Smith passed Norm Stewart (728-373; Northern Iowa, 1962-67; Missouri, 1968-99) and is now tied with Jerry Tarkanian (729-201; Long Beach State, 1969-73; UNLV, 1974-92, Fresno State, 1996-02) for 21st all-time with 729 career victories.
SJU BASKETBALL OPENERS: Saint John's is now 36-12 (.750) in its home opener under the direction of Smith, including a 29-10 record in Sexton Arena. SJU is 35-12 (.745) in the MIAC opener under the direction of Smith, including wins in 12 of the last 15.
A LOOK AT THE AUGGIES: Senior Cory Polta and junior Tyler Schmidt led Augsburg to an 89-55 victory over North Central (Minn.) Nov. 22. After a back-and-forth opening five minutes of play, the Auggies used two key runs, a 12-2 run over a four-and-a-half minute stretch and 16-2 run over a seven-minute stretch, to build a 41-22 lead at the half. Polta finished with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting with four blocked shots, while Schmidt also recorded 16 points, including a 4-of-6 performance from beyond the arc. Senior Andy Grzesiak-Grimm led all players with a game-high nine rebounds while adding 12 points and two blocked shots. Polta and Grzesiak-Grimm lead the Auggies with 14 points per game.
LAST YEAR'S MEETINGS: The Auggies shot 57.9 percent (11-19) in the second half, including a 4-for-6 performance from three-point range, to erase a two-point halftime deficit in a 63-55 win over the Johnnies Jan. 15. SJU went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 35-35 with 13:09 left, but Augsburg responded with a seven-point run of its own to take the lead for good. The Johnnies cut it to a four-point deficit on five different occasions, but the Auggies answered with a basket on four of the five ensuing possessions. In the second meeting on Feb. 5, SJU shot 60.0 percent (18-30) from the floor, including six of seven from three-point land, to the Auggies' 29.6 percent (8-27) in the first half to build a 47-24 halftime lead. Augsburg shot 28.8 percent for the game. The Johnnies led by as much as 33 with 12:29 remaining.
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies hold a 50-48 edge in the series under the direction of Smith, but are just 19-31 against the Auggies in Minneapolis. The victorious school in the series, however, has been determined by the location as of late. SJU has lost each of its last five and 14 of its last 18 in Minneapolis. The Auggies, on the other hand, have lost each of their last six games in Collegeville.
