Box Score

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WINONA, Minn. – Saint John's erased a three-point halftime deficit by shooting 62.5 percent (20-for-32) in the second half en route to an 81-60 win at Saint Mary's on Saturday, Jan. 25, in Winona.

SJU (8-8, 6-5 MIAC) held the Cardinals to six field goals (28.6 percent, 6-for-21) and scored 10 points off eight SMU turnovers in the game's final 20 minutes.

Down 28-21 with 5:46 left, SJU went on an 8-0 run to gain a one-point lead, but SMU answered with six straight points before sophomore Alex Schmitt (Chaska, Minn./Waconia) made a fast-break basket at the horn to cut the Johnnies' deficit to 34-31 at the half. The Cardinals (2-15, 1-11 MIAC) entered the game shooting 39.2 percent from the field (29.8 percent from three-point range) on the year but shot 57.7 percent (15-for-26) from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 showing from behind the arc, in the first half.

SJU burst out of the locker room with a 15-4 run to gain a 46-38 lead in the first 7:05 of the second half and clinched the win with a 13-2 spurt with six minutes remaining.

Senior Seth Marx (Maple Grove, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) led SJU with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Schmitt ended the afternoon with 16 points off the bench, 14 of which came in the second half. SJU shot 55.9 percent in the game and made only one of its first 10 three-point attempts, but went 5-for-10 the rest of the way. The Johnnies committed only five turnovers in the game and posted scoring advantages in all three specialty categories: 38-16 in the paint, 16-7 off turnovers and 12-6 following an offensive rebound.

Evan Pederson led SMU with 19 points, including 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting in the first half.

The Johnnies return home to host Hamline at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at Sexton Arena in Collegeville.