Box Score | Listen to Archived Game | Photos (Brace Hemmelgarn)
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Gustavus Adolphus shot 57.1 percent in the second half to turn a three-point halftime lead into a 58-40 win at Saint John's on Monday, Feb. 13, in Collegeville.
The Johnnies (13-10, 9-9 MIAC), meanwhile, shot just 23.8 percent (5-for-21) in the second half to drop their third straight game. The 40 points scored is the smallest total since Jan. 18, 1997 (45-40 loss at St. Thomas), and the least amount scored at home in 48 seasons under the direction of head coach Jim Smith (48-41 loss vs. St. Thomas on Dec. 3, 1994).
The two teams played fairly even basketball in the first half despite SJU's 0-for-6 showing at the free-throw line. The second half was a different story, however, as the Johnnies committed four turnovers during a stretch in which they made only two of their first 13 shots after intermission. The dry spell equated to just eight points, thanks to a pair of layups and four free throws, in 14:12 of play.
Sophomore Patrick Butcher (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) led the Johnnies with 10 points off the bench before fouling out with 2:08 left to play. Sophomore Seth Marx (Maple Grove, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) and senior Aaron Barmore (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) followed with nine and eight points, respectively.
Junior James Hill led the Gusties (18-5, 15-3 MIAC) with 19 points off the bench, while seniors Paul Blacklock and Tyler Grey added 12 points apiece. Blacklock collected 11 rebounds and four blocks, and Grey was 4-for-5 from three-point range.
GAC's Seth Anderson, the MIAC's leading scorer at 23.1 points per game, was held scoreless after a 0-for-6 showing from the floor in 17 minutes of play.
SJU is now just 33 of 96 (34.4 percent) from the field, including 10-for-38 (26.3 percent) from behind the arc, and 11 of 27 (40.7 percent) from the charity stripe in its last two games.
The Johnnies travel to face Macalester this Wednesday, Feb. 15. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Leonard Center in St. Paul.
