Box Score

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COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – A Gustavus Adolphus offensive rebound, its 15th of the game, a Saint John's foul and the ensuing free throw proved to be the difference in a 65-64 loss for the Johnnies in the quarterfinal round of the MIAC Playoffs on Wednesday, Feb. 26, in Collegeville.

A three-pointer from the top of the key by senior Patrick Butcher (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) tied the game at 64-64 with 1:15 to go. A turnover by GAC's Brody Ziegler, his fifth of the game, with 52 seconds on the clock gave SJU (15-11, 13-7 MIAC) an opportunity to take the lead, but Butcher's three-point attempt from the same spot as 50 seconds earlier, rattled out.

Martin Feddersen missed a fade-away jumper with six seconds left but Jordan Dick grabbed the offensive board for the Gusties (17-9, 13-7 MIAC). He was fouled by Butcher, his fifth of the game, and made the first free throw before missing the second. Senior Seth Marx (Maple Grove, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) secured the rebound but classmate Kevin McKenzie's (De Pere, Wis./Notre Dame Academy) half-court heave at the buzzer was off the mark.

The Gusties out-rebounded SJU 43-28 in the game (15-6 on the offensive glass) and registered a 19-9 advantage in second-chance points. The Johnnies posted a 38-32 scoring edge in the paint, but missed 15 layups (shots in the paint) in the game, including nine in the first half. GAC also went to the free-throw line 22 times (14-for-22) to the Johnnies' 11 trips (7-for-11). The visitors were in the bonus with 9:42 remaining.

The Johnnies were also stung by a pair of statistical anomalies. Junior Blake Maslonkowski (St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Apollo), the MIAC's (all games) leader in shooting percentage at .687, went 3-for-8 from the floor, while sophomore Alex Schmitt (Chaska, Minn./Waconia), the team's second-leading scorer (11.5 ppg.) and a 51.7-percent shooter, was held to two points and a 0-for-4 showing from the field in nine minutes of play.

Butcher led SJU with 14 points, while Marx added 11 points and seven rebounds. Senior Nick Meyer (Plymouth, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) chipped in 10 points off the bench.

Feddersen led the Gusties with 14 points and four assists. Dick followed with 13 points and Gary Cooper tallied seven rebounds and 12 points, three of which came on a three-pointer that gave GAC a five-point lead (62-57) with three minutes left. Ziegler was held to six points, but collected 12 rebounds and three blocks.

GAC shot 43.6 percent from the field (to SJU's 44.8 percent), including 27.3 percent (3-for-11) from three-point range, and did not make a field goal in the game's final 3:01.

With the loss, SJU head coach Jim Smith ends his 50th season with a 770-546 career record.