Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 11 Saint John's basketball used a hot first half to build a 19-point halftime lead en route to an 82-63 win over Augsburg on Saturday, Jan. 4, in Sexton Arena.
The Johnnies (10-1, 6-0 MIAC) shot 56.7 percent (17-for-30) from the floor in the first half, including 50 percent (6-for-12) from three-point range. SJU broke a 14-14 tie with a 9-0 run and scored 12 of the half's final 16 points to take a 46-27 lead into the locker room.
Augsburg (7-3, 3-2 MIAC) started the second half with a 5-0 run to trim its deficit to 14 (46-32), but that was the closest the visitors came as SJU led by as much as 26 (71-45) with 8:53 to play.
Junior wing
Oakley Baker (Geneva, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva) set career highs for points (21) and three-pointers (6) to lead four Johnnies in double figures. The .857 shooting percentage from behind the arc was the best by a Johnnie (minimum six treys made) since
David Stokman '19 went 7-for-8 at Concordia on Jan. 30, 2017.
Senior post
Lucas Walford (Elko, Minn./New Prague) went 7 of 8 from the floor for 15 points and added eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Junior post
Zach Hanson (New Prague, Minn.) posted 14 points and nine rebounds, while senior wing
Jubie Alade (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) followed with 13 points and six boards. The 13 points pushed Alade past Tim Muller '71 and Eric Kohorst '93 into 27th on SJU's all-time scoring list with 1,090 in his career.
Booker Coplin led the Auggies with a double-double, 21 points and 10 rebounds. He fouled out with 4:46 remaining.
The Johnnies out-rebounded the Auggies 44-36, including 15-12 on the offensive glass. Augsburg shot 32.3 percent (10-for-31) and posted a 19-16 rebounding edge in the first half, but scored only two points off nine offensive boards.
SJU has now won 13 of the last 15 meetings with Augsburg overall - including each of the last four - and eight of the last 10 in Sexton Arena.
The Johnnies travel to Northfield for a 7 p.m. game Monday, Jan. 6, at St. Olaf (6-4, 3-2 MIAC).