Box Score

SALEM, Ore. - No. 11 Saint John's basketball flipped the statistics in the second half for an 82-69 win, the team's ninth consecutive victory, at Willamette on Saturday, Dec. 21, in Salem, Ore.

The Johnnies (9-1, 5-0 MIAC) trailed the Bearcats (1-8, 0-1 NWC) by six points (39-33) at halftime thanks to a poor showing - 26.3 percent (5-for-19) - from behind the arc. Willamette, meanwhile, shot 57.1 percent (16-for-28) from the field, including 63.6 percent (7-for-11) from three-point range, and scored 16 points off six SJU turnovers in the game's first 20 minutes.

SJU, however, shot 64 percent (16-for-25) in the second half, including an 8-for-12 (66.7 percent) showing from three-point range. The Johnnies scored the first eight points after the break, but the lead went back and forth over the first 10 minutes. 

SJU broke a 55-55 tie with a 7-0 run that consisted of back-to-back dunks from senior post Lucas Walford (Elko, Minn./New Prague) and senior wing Jubie Alade (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong), and a trey from sophomore guard Colton Codute (Wayzata, Minn./Orono). 

Willamette cut its deficit to six (67-61) with 3:40 remaining, but Codute drained back-to-back three-pointers to give the Johnnies a double-digit lead for good.

Walford went 10-for-10 from the floor for his seventh double-double of the season and 22nd of his career with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Codute made a career-high six three-pointers and tied his career high with 20 points, while junior wing Oakley Baker (Geneva, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva) scored a season-high 17 points on a 5-for-10 performance from downtown.

Alade registered 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. He climbed past Kevin Coleman '72, Andy Burns '12 and Larry Bassett '92 into 29th in program history with 1,077 career points.

The Johnnies recorded 23 assists on 29 made field goals and out-rebounded the Bearcats, 39-31.

Daniel Plumer led Willamette, which shot 34.4 percent (11-for-32) in the second half (45 percent overall), with 14 points.

The Johnnies return to conference play against Augsburg at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, in Sexton Arena.