Box Score

Box Score | Listen to Archived Game

RIVER FALLS, Wis. – Saint John's saw its 12-point, second-half lead dissolve in a 79-73 loss at Wisconsin-River Falls on Saturday, Dec. 29.

Down 41-31, UWRF (5-7, 0-3 WIAC) opened the second half with a 5-0 run, but SJU answered with a 7-0 run of its own to gain a 48-36 lead. The Falcons proceeded to go on a 33-8 run, including a 16-0 stretch, to gain a 69-56 lead with 4:54 remaining.

The Johnnies (3-6, 2-2 MIAC) made only one of their nine shot attempts during River Falls' 19-2 run, a 5:20 span after SJU posted a 54-50 lead with 9:57 left. 

Juniors Patrick Butcher (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) and Seth Marx (Maple Grove, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) led four Johnnies in double-figures with 13 points apiece. Marx, however, was held to two points on 1-for-7 shooting in the second half. Freshman Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) followed with 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while senior Chris Neumann (Winsted, Minn./Holy Trinity) added 11 points.

Zach Peterson led UWRF with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Arik Smith tallied 15 points. The two combined for 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting in the second half alone.

The Johnnies, who are now 1-10 all-time at River Falls (10-13 overall), missed 15 three-pointers in the game (4-for-19) and held a slim 13-11 scoring advantage in second-chance points despite having seven more offensive rebounds than UWRF (17-10). SJU put up 75 shots in the game, 18 more than the Falcons, but shot 42.7 percent from the floor.

The Johnnies return to conference play with a 7:30 p.m. game at Bethel on Wednesday, Jan. 2, in Arden Hills.