Box Score | Listen to Archived Game
ST. PETER, Minn. – Saint John's ended its 2011-12 season with a 64-52 loss at Gustavus Adolphus in the MIAC Playoff Semifinals on Friday, Feb. 24, in St. Peter.
The Johnnies (16-11, 11-9 MIAC) matched Wednesday night's shooting percentage (.340) but made only five of their 22 three-point attempts (22.7 percent). Gustavus, meanwhile, finished the game at 53.7 percent, including 71.4 percent (5-for-7) from three-point range. SJU managed to outscore Gustavus 36-35 despite the Gusties' .667 shooting percentage (12-for-18) in the second half.
After SJU cut the deficit to four, 15-11, Gustavus went on to outscore the Johnnies 14-5 in the final 11:11 of the first half, a span in which SJU shot just 15.4 percent (2-for-13) from the field and 1-for-4 from the free-throw line, to take a 29-16 lead into halftime. SJU finished the half at 28.0 percent (7-for-25) from the floor and just 12.5 percent (1-for-8) from three-point range.
The Johnnies cut the deficit to as little as eight on three occasions in the second half, but GAC answered with a basket on the very next possession each time and maintained the momentum in its favor.
Senior Andy Burns (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) led the Johnnies with 16 points to finish his career 26th in school history with 1,068 points. Classmate and co-captain Aaron Barmore (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) ended his career with his second career double-double in as many games, 11 points and 10 rebounds. Barmore ended his career with 969 points and a .536 shooting percentage. Sophomore Patrick Butcher (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) and junior Chris Neumann (Winsted, Minn./Holy Trinity) added nine and eight points off the bench, respectively.
Tyler Grey led the Gusties with 13 points on five of seven shooting (3-for-5 from three-point), while Blake Shay doubled his season average of 5.6 points per game with 12 on the night. Seth Anderson, the MIAC's scoring leader at 22.1 points per game, tallied 11. Paul Blacklock collected 14 rebounds, four blocks and three points.
Head coach Jim Smith ended his 48th season at SJU with a 743-521 career record (.588).
