Box ScoreELMHURST, Ill. – Elmhurst scored five of the game's final seven points to hand Saint John's an 82-76 loss on Friday, Dec. 19, in Elmhurst, Ill.
Elmhurst (9-1, 0-0 CCIW) broke a 60-60 tie with a 10-2 run with 4:25 left to play. SJU (3-4, 1-2 MIAC) battled back to within two (72-70) and later three (77-74), with 58 seconds remaining, but the Bluejays converted a traditional three-point play and made five of its final eight free-throw attempts to seal the win.
SJU (3-4, 1-2 MIAC) built an early 21-11 lead, but Elmhurst responded with a 20-4 run to gain a six-point advantage (31-25) with 3:46 left in the first half. The visitors closed the half with an 8-2 run to take a 33-33 tie into halftime.
Junior guard
Alex Schmitt (Waconia, Minn.) led SJU in scoring with his fourth consecutive 20-point game with 21, including 18 points in the second half. Junior wing
Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) added 13 points, while classmate wing
Joe Risinger (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) collected 12 points and four steals.
Senior post
Blake Maslonkowski (St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Apollo) and freshman guard
Patrick Strom (Fargo, N.D./Shanley) totaled 10 points apiece. Junior guard
Chase Luebker (Maiden Rock, Wis./Plum City) posted two points, four assists and seven rebounds in a career-high 19 minutes played.
Will Nixon led the Bluejays with 18 points and nine rebounds.
SJU forced 16 turnovers and registered scoring advantages in both points off turnovers (20-9) and points in the paint (38-20). The difference was at the charity stripe, where Elmhurst made 27 of its 35 free throws. Fouls were called at a 24-14 margin against SJU.
The Johnnies wrap up 2014 with a 4 p.m. game at North Park on Saturday, Dec. 20, in Chicago.
