Box ScoreST. PAUL, Minn. – Saint John's basketball suffered a heartbreaking 69-68 loss at No. 4 St. Thomas on Monday, Feb. 8, in St. Paul.
SJU (16-6, 11-6 MIAC) led by as much as six with 6:28 to play and by three (62-59) with 2:39 remaining, but UST (20-1, 15-1 MIAC) ended the game on a 6-2 run as Grant Shaeffer scored the Tommies' final four points. He was 2 of 10 from the field prior to the run.
The Johnnies entered the game shooting 39.2 percent from three-point range on the year but only made a season-low three of their 17 attempts from downtown (17.6 percent), including the go-ahead attempt from sophomore guard
Patrick Strom (Fargo, N.D./Shanley) with five seconds remaining.
Senior wing
Joe Risinger's (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) three-point attempt at the horn rattled out as SJU took a 35-34 deficit into the break. The Johnnies built six-point leads twice in the second half, one with 9:20 left and another at the aforementioned 6:28 mark, but UST answered with a basket on the ensuing possession in both instances.
Strom and senior guard
Alex Schmitt (Waconia, Minn.) led SJU with 13 points apiece. Freshman guard
David Stokman (Maple Lake, Minn.) added 11 points and senior guard
Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) chipped in 10 points and five assists.
Sophomore post
Tyler Weiss (Shakopee, Minn.) tallied eight points and seven rebounds in only 19 minutes due to foul trouble.
Jimmy Remke more than doubled his season average of 7.6 points per game with 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting and six rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench for UST.
SJU held statistical advantages in shooting percentage (45.0-42.2 percent) and rebounding (38-37). The Tommies' five starters combined to shoot 39.5 percent (17-for-43) from the field.
The Johnnies return home to host Concordia-Moorhead for their regular-season, home finale this Saturday, Feb. 13, in Sexton Arena. SJU's seniors will be honored prior to tip-off and the alumni will be recognized during halftime.
