Box ScoreCOLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's basketball shot a blistering 72.4 percent (21-for-29) in the second half to post a 99-86 win over Augsburg in the MIAC Playoff quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 24, in Collegeville.
The Johnnies (19-7, 13-7 MIAC) advance to play St. Olaf (16-9, 14-6 MIAC) in the MIAC playoff semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, in Northfield. SJU won both meetings during the regular season (72-68 in Collegeville and 81-72 in Northfield). The postseason meeting will be the first between the two teams since 1993 (a 65-53 SJU win in Collegeville).
The 99 points is a program record for a postseason game, topping the 98 points scored in a 98-85 home win over MSU-Moorhead on March 8, 1978, in the NAIA tournament.
The Johnnies led by as much as 15 with 4:49 left in the first half and by 11 (44-33) at halftime, but Augsburg (15-11, 10-10 MIAC) went on a 15-4 run in the first 3:37 of the second half to tie the game at 48-48.
The game was tied at 65-65 with 10:21 before SJU brought the lead back out to 11 points with a 15-4 run and never led by less than nine points the rest of the way. SJU shot 63.3 percent (38-for-60) for the game and never trailed.
Senior guard
Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) led SJU with 21 points, including 17 in the second half, on 10 of 15 shooting (10 of 11 from inside the arc). He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists.
Senior wing
Joe Risinger (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) continued his impressive play against the Auggies with 18 points on 8-for-9 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. He shot 57.1 percent (32-for-56), including 48 percent (12-for-25) from three-point range, and averaged 19.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in his last four games against Augsburg. Senior guard
Alex Schmitt (Waconia, Minn.) added 15 points.
The Johnnies out-scored Augsburg 29-3 off the bench, thanks to 11 points from freshman guard
David Stokman (Maple Lake, Minn.) and a career-high 10 from sophomore guard
Brent Hentges (Carver, Minn./Holy Family Catholic). The bench shot 76.9 percent (10-for-13) from the field.
Despite a 30-25 deficit on the glass (10-2 offensive), SJU out-scored Augsburg 56-32 in the paint. The Auggies shot 47.5 percent (29-for-61) for the game, but stayed in the contest thanks to a 15-0 advantage in second-chance points and eight points off three SJU turnovers.
Brent Rasmussen led the Auggies with 25 points and Joe Zangel, fresh off his 20 points and 10 rebounds in the 77-66 loss to SJU Feb. 20 in Minneapolis, followed with 22 points and nine rebounds. Richie Perea more than doubled his season average (5.6 ppg.) with 16 points and added five boards.
SJU improved to 5-2 against Augsburg in the MIAC playoffs and has now won each of the last six meetings overall.
