Box ScoreMOORHEAD, Minn. – Saint John's basketball saw its six-game win streak come to an end with an 83-65 loss at Concordia on Saturday, Jan. 9, in Moorhead.
Concordia (6-6, 3-4 MIAC) shot 56.9 percent (33-for-58) from the field, including 52 percent (13-for-25), 17 percentage points higher than its season average, from three-point range.
CC made 14 of its first 17 shots, including five of its first six three-point attempts, and finished at 58.6 percent (17-for-29) to take a 43-30 lead into halftime. Senior guard
Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) cut the Johnnies' deficit to 13 points at the break thanks to a half-court heave that bounced off the glass and in at the buzzer. He led SJU (10-2, 5-2 MIAC), which shot 33.3 percent (9-for-27) from the field and 2-for-10 from three-point range, with 13 points in the first half and 15 points for the game.
SJU cut its deficit to as little as nine (47-38) with 16:24 remaining, but the Cobbers extended their lead to 18 before going on a 12-0 run to break the game open.
Senior wing
Joe Risinger (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) posted 13 points on a perfect 5-for-5 showing from the floor, while sophomore guard
Patrick Strom (Fargo, N.D./Shanley) added 11 points. The Johnnies shot 44.9 percent (22-for-49) for the game, including 30.8 percent (4-for-13) from behind the arc.
SJU entered the game with the top shooting percentage (.512) in the MIAC and the second-best defense (.427). Concordia, meanwhile, entered the contest with the conference's worst three-point defense at 41.3 percent.
Austin Nelson led CC with 18 points on six of 10 shooting from three-point land. Tom Fraase made four treys of his own and totaled 16 points, while Dylan Alderman and Brady Syverson added 12 points apiece. Jordan Bolger collected 11 points and eight rebounds to reach the 1,000-point plateau. The Cobbers' five starters shot 65.1 percent (28-for-43) from the field and 63.2 percent (12-for-19) from three-point range.
The Johnnies return home to host No. 4 St. Thomas at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, in Sexton Arena. The showdown begins a stretch in which five of SJU's next six games are at home.
