Saint John's plays host to Martin Luther for a 7:30 p.m. game tonight at Sexton Arena in Collegeville. – Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Four Johnnies scored in double figures as Saint John's extended its home winning streak to 42 games over Saint Mary's with a 69-58 win a week ago (Dec. 5). The Johnnies answered SMU's lone lead of the game, 8-6 2:34 into the contest, with a 24-4 run to take a 30-12 lead with 5:56 left in the first half. The Cardinals were shooting 25.0 percent from the floor (6-for-24) until they closed the first half three of five. Senior Aaron Barmore (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) tied his career high with 20 points on 10 of 14 shooting to lead SJU. Sophomore Jack Wittenborg, a fellow alumnus of Bloomington Jefferson High School, added a career-high 13 points on a perfect six-for-six night. Junior Chris Neumann (Winsted, Minn./Holy Trinity) added 12 points and six rebounds, while senior Andy Burns (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) collected 10 points and six assists. Michael Burfeind led all scorers with 26 points and grabbed 12 boards for SMU. The Cardinals matched the Johnnies point-for-point and shot 45.8 percent (11-for-24) in the second half. The visitors, however, made only one of their 14 three-point attempts and committed 17 turnovers in the game. SMU was 17 of 20 from the free-throw line. SJU shot an even 56.0 percent (14-for-25) in the second half to finish 54.7 percent (29-for-53) for the game, despite shooting just two of seven from behind the arc.
vs. UMAC: The Johnnies are 24-10 all-time against current members of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC): Martin Luther (1-0), Minnesota-Morris (15-9), Northland (Wis., 3-1), Presentation (S.D., 1-0) and St. Scholastica (4-0).
A LOOK AT THE KNIGHTS: MLC shot 19.6 percent from the field, including 14.3 percent in the second half, in a 93-38 loss at Bethel Saturday. Bethel controlled the game from the early going, turning an 8-6 lead early in the game into a 17-point margin after an 18-3 run. The Royals led 53-19 at the half and shot 55.2 percent from the floor. Senior Justin Danell and sophomore Galen Holzhueter led the Knights with nine points apiece, with Danell adding nine rebounds. Holzhueter enters tonight's game with an average of 21.3 points per contest.
LAST YEAR'S MEETING: Saint John's used a 24-0 run near the end of the first half to build a 44-19 halftime lead en route to a 79-58 at Martin Luther last Dec. 1. SJU held a 19-17 edge with 8:04 to play in the first half before going on the scoring blitz until MLC ended the drought with 21 seconds left. The Johnnies shot 55.2 percent from the field in the game's first 20 minutes, despite a 3-for-12 performance from three-point range. Barmore celebrated his 21st birthday by leading all scorers with 18 points on nine of 10 shooting. SJU, which led by as much as 34, pulled all of its starters with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Johnnies outscored MLC 40-8 in the paint and shot 51.8 percent in the game despite a 3-for-16 (18.8 percent) night from behind the arc.
