Saint John's ends its current three-game homestand with a 7:30 p.m. game tonight against Carleton in Sexton Arena. – Listen Live (Real Audio Player) | Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (6-10, 5-6 MIAC) extended its win streak to three games with a 75-61 victory over St. Olaf on Jan. 19 in Collegeville. SJU took an eight-point lead into the half, 36-28, thanks to four three-pointers and 18 points in the paint. The halftime lead could have been much larger if the Johnnies had not missed seven shots in the paint (12 for the game). Junior Seth Marx (Maple Grove, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) tallied the Johnnies' first nine points of the second half as the home team led by as much as 19 (56-37) with 12:44 left. Marx led SJU with 17 points, four three-pointers and three blocks, while freshman Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) followed with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists. Junior Kevin McKenzie (De Pere, Wis./Notre Dame Academy) added 11 points and five assists. Senior Chris Neumann (Winsted, Minn./Holy Trinity) ended his stellar week (12.0 ppg., 9.0 rpg., .708 shooting percentage) with nine points and seven rebounds. SJU is now 60-28 all-time against STO under the direction of head coach Jim Smith, including a 38-7 record in Collegeville.

ONE WIN FROM 750: With Saturday's win, Smith improved to 749-531 (.585) in 49 seasons with the Johnnies and is now one victory shy of becoming the 19th coach in college basketball history, all divisions (NCAA), to reach 750 in a career.

A LOOK AT THE KNIGHTS: Carleton (9-6, 6-4 MIAC) enters tonight's game with four wins in its last six games, including a 63-52 loss at crosstown St. Olaf Jan. 7. Senior Tom Sawatzke's game-high 26 points helped lead the Knights to a 94-66 victory over Hamline on Jan. 19. Senior Scott Theisen added 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while junior Taylor Hanson collected 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists. The Knights put together two big runs in the first half, including a 14-4 run to earn an early 19-10 lead and then a 17-1 run to go up 42-20. Both contributed to a 51-25 halftime lead. Sawatzke leads the team with an average of 19.3 points per game, followed by Theisen at 17.5.

SHORT ROTATION: The Knights have only seven players who average more than five minutes per game and only six who average more than two points per game. Carleton's starters have combined to score 92.8 percent of the team's scoring (955 of 1,029 points) this season. A key to Carleton's success with the short bench is staying out of foul trouble, as it leads the MIAC in committing the least amount of fouls per game (11.6), which is 2.5 fouls per game better than second-place Saint Mary's (14.1).

TURNOVER TROUBLE: Forcing turnovers will be one of the keys to a victory tonight for the Johnnies. Carleton has committed 18 turnovers in each of its last two games, while the Johnnies have forced double-digits in turnovers each of its last 11 games (12.6 tfpg.). Coincidentally, the last time SJU failed to force 10 turnovers or more in a game was six in the 66-65 loss at Carleton Dec. 3.

EARLIER THIS SEASON: SJU erased an 18-point deficit but could not hold on to a late two-point lead in a 66-65 loss at Carleton this past Dec. 3 in Northfield. The Johnnies gained a 65-63 lead, their first of the game, with 2:35 remaining but Carleton scored the game's final three points. SJU left eight points (5-for-13) at the free-throw line, including a miss on the front end of a one-and-one ahead by a 65-64 margin with 24 seconds left. Carleton extended its 38-25 halftime lead with a 6-1 run to start the second half before SJU began to chip away. Kuck recorded a career-high 21 points with five rebounds, but was 3-for-9 at the free-throw line. Marx tallied his second career double-double with 11 rebounds and 10 points, all of which was scored in the second half. Senior Chris Orgas (Lakeville, Minn./North) added 10 points and six boards off the bench. Scott Theisen led Carleton with 20 points, while Tom Sawatzke added 12. Taylor Hanson tallied nine points and nine rebounds before leaving the game with an apparent ankle injury with 11 minutes left. Carleton made only three of its 16 shot attempts after he left the game (0-for-6 from three-point range). SJU out-shot (47.5 percent to 43.3 percent) and out-rebounded (45-36) the home team, but the Knights took advantage of the Johnnies' seven first-half turnovers for 10 points (and finished with a 12-4 scoring advantage in the game). The Johnnies out-scored Carleton 42-26 in the paint despite missing 11 shots down low.

SERIES HISTORY: Smith and the Johnnies are 36-29 all-time against Carleton, including a 22-10 record in Collegeville. SJU is 5-6 versus the Knights in the last 11 games in Sexton Arena. Eight of the 11 games were decided by five points or less (4-4 record).