Saint John's basketball plays host to Concordia-Moorhead for Senior Night this Wednesday, Feb. 19. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Sexton Arena. – Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM, via Real Audio Player) | Live Stats | Live Video
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (13-10, 11-7 MIAC) clinched a berth to the six-team MIAC Playoffs with a 74-67 win at Carleton on Saturday, Feb. 15, in Northfield. The victory was SJU's eighth in its last 10 games and snapped a four-game skid in West Gymnasium. The Johnnies led by as much as 13 (32-19) with 3:14 left in the first half, but the Knights (9-14, 7-11 MIAC) went on a 9-0 run and the visitors took a 35-28 lead into the break. SJU, however, shot 64.7 percent (11-for-17) from the field and went 17-for-22 from the free-throw line in the second half. Carleton cut the Johnnies' lead to four, 60-56, with five minutes remaining, but SJU made three of its final four shot attempts and went 8-for-12 from the charity stripe the rest of the way. Junior Blake Maslonkowski (St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Apollo) led SJU with a career-high 18 points, on 6-for-8 shooting (6-6 at free-throw line), and four steals. Sophomore Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) followed with 15 points and senior Seth Marx (Maple Grove, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) added 13 points and a team-leading seven rebounds.
LIVING DOWNTOWN: Marx broke out of a slump by shooting 71.4 percent (10-for-14) from the field, including an 8-for-9 showing from three-point range, and averaging 15.5 points and seven rebounds per game as SJU went 2-0 on the road last week. He averaged 6.5 points and shot 25.7 percent (9-for-35) from the field, including an uncharacteristic 4-for-24 showing from behind the arc, in his previous four games. Marx (159) needs three three-pointers to pass two former teammates, Andy Burns (160, 2008-12) and Chris Schwartz (161, 2007-11), for third on SJU's all-time list.
TEN FROM TOP 10: Senior point guard Kevin McKenzie (De Pere, Wis./Notre Dame Academy) is 10 assists away from tying Corey Jackson (1992-96) for 10th on SJU's all-time list. He currently has 218 assists in 101 games, including a career-high 77 in 2013-14.
STILL ATOP THE MIAC: Maslonkowski is currently leading the MIAC (all games) in shooting percentage at 68.6 percent and in offensive rebounds with 49 in 18 league games He is also fifth in the MIAC (conference games only) in steals (28).
A LOOK AT THE COBBERS: Concordia (11-12, 7-11 MIAC) travels to Collegeville Wednesday with a 4-5 record in its last nine games (1-3 in last four), in which all five losses were to MIAC Playoff teams (two against St. Thomas, Augsburg, Gustavus Adolphus and St. Olaf). The Cobbers are 1-7 in conference road games this season and are led by sophomore Jordan Bolger in scoring (12.7 ppg.), rebounding (6.7 rpg.) and shooting percentage (.559). Concordia averages 10.3 offensive rebounds and only 10.4 turnovers per game.
EARLIER THIS SEASON: Concordia went on a 12-0 run midway through the second half en route to a 74-64 win over SJU earlier this season on Jan. 15 in Moorhead. SJU went 5:33 between field goals from McKenzie as the Cobbers turned a two-point deficit into a 10-point lead (62-52) with 4:10 left. CC made five of its six shot attempts and turned four SJU turnovers into six points during the Johnnies' drought. The Johnnies clawed to within four (66-62) with 50 seconds remaining, but the Cobbers made their lone shot attempt and went 6-for-6 at the free-throw line the rest of the way. SJU was once again stung at the foul line as the home team finished the night 19-for-21. The Johnnies' previous four opponents combined to shoot 89.2 percent (74-for-83) from the charity stripe. SJU tallied 11 points off seven Cobber turnovers and took a 32-26 lead into halftime. Maslonkowski gave SJU an eight-point lead, its largest of the night, on the opening possession of the second half, but Concordia answered with an 11-1 run. The Johnnies recovered to take a two-point lead, 49-47, with 9:27 left before the wheels fell off. The contest was the third on the road in the last six days for SJU, which was led by with 15 points off the bench. Maslonkowski and McKenzie added 11 points apiece, while senior Patrick Butcher (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) collected 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. McKenzie also chipped in six assists. SJU shot 38.5 percent (10-for-26) in the second half to finish at 42.1 percent for the game, while Concordia shot 55.6 percent (15-for-27) in the game's final 20 minutes. Jordan Bolger led the Cobbers with 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Concordia 3-for-17 from three-point range. The loss was the seventh in a row for SJU at Memorial Auditorium and ninth in the last 11 trips to Moorhead.
SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 69-33 against the Cobbers under the direction of head coach Jim Smith, including a 44-6 record in Collegeville. Concordia won both games against the Johnnies last season for the first time since 2003-04.
