Box ScoreARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Saint John's basketball ended a four-game skid with a 69-67 win at Bethel on Saturday, Jan. 3, in Arden Hills.
Bethel (7-2, 3-1 MIAC) connected on a full-court pass with 2.4 seconds remaining, but Kyle Zimmermann's game-tying layup rolled off the rim as time expired.
SJU (4-5, 2-2 MIAC) took a 38-31 lead into halftime thanks to a jumper at the buzzer from freshman guard
Patrick Strom (Fargo, N.D./Shanley). Strom led five Johnnies in double figures with 15 points off the bench.
Junior guard
Alex Schmitt (Waconia, Minn.) saw his string of five straight 20-point games come to an end with a 10-point performance, but he tallied a career-high nine assists in the victory. A career 88.5-percent shooter from the free-throw line, including a 24-for-25 showing so far this season, Schmitt missed the front end of a one-and-one with 40 seconds left and another with three seconds showing on the clock.
Junior guard
Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) recorded his first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while junior forward
Joe Risinger (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) added 12 points and eight rebounds. SJU out-rebounded the Royals 42-28 in the contest, including a 16-9 edge on the offensive glass.
Freshman post
Tyler Weiss (Shakopee, Minn.) added a career-high 10 points and five rebounds in his first collegiate start, while senior post
Blake Maslonkowski (St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Apollo) registered six points and eight rebounds in only 15 minutes played due to foul trouble.
Bridgeport Tusler led Bethel with 23 points and Zimmermann, a transfer from SJU, collected 15 points and 11 rebounds. BU received votes in the most recent D3hoops.com poll released Dec. 14.
The Johnnies return home to host Hamline at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, in Sexton Arena.
