Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 8 Saint John's basketball ended its 2018-19 season with a 93-78 loss to Northwestern in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Friday, March 1, in Collegeville.

SJU (23-5 overall) shot a season-low 41.9 percent (31-for-74) from the floor, including 28.6 percent (10-for-35) from three-point range. The Johnnies entered the weekend leading NCAA Division III in both rebound margin (+13.3 rpg.) and shooting percentage (.542), were second in scoring margin (+19.2 ppg.) and three-point percentage (.415), and ninth in shooting percentage defense (.392) and scoring defense (62.7 ppg.).

SJU missed 15 layups/shots in the paint, including 10 in the first half alone.

The Eagles (22-6 overall) posted a 42-35 advantage on the glass and shot 62.1 percent (18-for-29) in the second half to finish at 53.8 percent (35-for-65) for the game, the team's 16th consecutive win.

UNW started the game hot, making nine of its first 14 shots. SJU cut its deficit to one (26-25), but the Eagles put together runs of 6-0 and 7-2 before sophomore wing Oakley Baker (Geneva, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva) drained a three-pointer at the horn as the visitors took a 39-35 lead into the break. 

Similar to the first half, Northwestern started the second half by making 10 of its first 15 shots (4-for-6 from three-point range) to build a 15-point lead (65-50) with 12 minutes remaining. SJU chipped its deficit down to nine on two occasions, but UNW made eight of its final 14 shots and went 10 of 14 from the free-throw line the rest of the way.

Senior guard David Stokman (Maple Lake, Minn.) led SJU with 20 points and five assists, while junior wing Jubie Alade (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) added 19 points and five rebounds. Baker finished with 13 points.

Stokman ended his career as the program's all-time leader in three-pointers (266), fourth in points (1,492 points) and fifth in assists (321). 

Tanner Youngberg led five Eagles in double figures with 21 points.