Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 2 Saint John's basketball ended the game with a 17-5 run over the final 9:38 to claim a 71-57 win - the team's 19th in a row - over Hamline on Saturday, Feb. 1, in Collegeville.
Michael Dillon hit a three-pointer to cut Hamline's (4-15, 2-12 MIAC) deficit to two (54-52) with 9:39 remaining in regulation. At that point, the Pipers were shooting 51.4 percent (19-for-37) from the field and 50 percent (7-for-14) from behind the arc.
The Johnnies (19-1, 15-0 MIAC), however, answered with a 13-0 run as the home team's defense, and crowd, stepped up to hold HU scoreless for 10 straight possessions (0-for-8 shooting, two turnovers) over the next 7:05. In total, the Pipers finished 2-for-12 with three turnovers during SJU's 17-5 run to close the contest.
Senior wing
Jubie Alade (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) led all scorers with 29 points, including 21 in the second half alone, on 10 of 15 shooting (3-for-5 from three-point range). He reached 29 points on a 360-degree dunk with just under two minutes remaining (
see below).
The performance was Alade's sixth 20-point game of the season and 13th of his career, and enabled him to break his tie with Paul Henrichs '06 for 14th on SJU's all-time scoring list with 1,267 points. He is now seven points away from
Mitchell Kuck '16 in 13th.
Junior post
Zach Hanson (New Prague, Minn.) recorded his second double-double of the season, and third of his career, with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Both Hanson and senior post
Lucas Walford (Elko, Minn./New Prague), who tallied 14 points and seven boards, were 7-for-11 from the floor.
SJU out-rebounded Hamline 38-21 (10-1 offensive) and dominated scoring in the paint, 44-16.
HU ended the first half with an 8-2 run to tie the game 34-34 at the break.
Luke Siwek led the Pipers with 18 points, while Dillon added 11 points and eight rebounds.
SJU finished at 51.9 percent (28-for-54) for the game, including 31.6 percent (6-for-19) from behind the arc, and an uncharacteristic 50 percent (9-for-18) from the free-throw line. The Johnnies entered the game sixth in NCAA Division III in three-point percentage (.407) and second in the MIAC from the charity stripe (.749).
The Johnnies complete their three-game homestand against St. Olaf (9-10, 6-8 MIAC) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5, in Sexton Arena.
