Box ScoreST. PAUL, Minn. – Saint John's held Macalester to 30.4 percent (17-for-56) from the field and improved to 10-1 (5-1 MIAC) on the season with an 81-56 win on Wednesday, Jan. 6, in St. Paul.
Senior guard
Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) recorded nine points to become the 35th Johnnie to reach 1,000 for a career, one game after classmate
Alex Schmitt (Waconia, Minn.) accomplished the feat (Jan. 2). Kuck also collected nine assists in the victory to become the 14th Johnnie in recorded history to reach 200 for a career.
The duo became the first pair of Johnnies to reach the 1,000-point plateau in the same season since Mike Nester '02 and Luke Witt '02 joined the club during the 2001-02 campaign.
The win, coupled with St. Olaf's 76-66 home loss to Bethel Wednesday night, enabled SJU to move into sole possession of first place atop the MIAC standings.
Schmitt led the Johnnies with 22 points, his third consecutive 20-point game and sixth of the season, thanks to a 4-for-8 showing from behind the arc and a 6-for-7 performance at the free-throw line.
Sophomore post
Tyler Weiss (Shakopee, Minn.) made six of his eight shot attempts and posted 13 points in only 19 minutes for SJU, which shot an even 50 percent (30-for-60) from the field, including 58.8 percent (20-for-34) in the second half.
Senior post
Jordan Peterson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and freshman guard
David Stokman (Maple Lake, Minn.) supplied 10 points apiece off the bench. The 10 points were a career-high for Peterson, who went 5-for-6 from the floor and grabbed five rebounds.
Senior wing
Joe Risinger (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) chipped in six points and a career-high 11 boards.
Kareem Ismail led all scorers with 24 points for the Scots (3-8, 1-5 MIAC). SJU held Wyatt Ferm, the reigning MIAC Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week, and Michael Gutierrez to a combined 18 points and a 5-for-17 showing from the field, including 0-for-7 from three-point range. The pair combined for 66 points and 15 three-pointers in the 107-95 loss at Bethel Jan. 2.
SJU scored 17 points off nine offensive rebounds and 20 points off 11 Mac turnovers in the win.
The Johnnies travel to face Concordia for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 9, in Moorhead.
