Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 2 Saint John's basketball saw its 22-game win streak end with a 71-66 loss to No. 4 St. Thomas on Saturday, Feb. 15, in front of a capacity crowd (2,560) in Sexton Arena.

The story of the game, statistically, came from the three-point arc as St. Thomas (21-2, 17-1 MIAC) shot 57.9 percent (11-for-19) from downtown - 18.4 percent above its season average - while the Johnnies (22-2, 18-1 MIAC) finished 4-for-19 (21.1 percent). SJU entered the game ninth in NCAA Division III from three-point range at 39.9 percent.

The Tommies made six of their first seven three-point attempts and erased an 8-7 SJU lead with a 19-2 run. The Johnnies answered with a 15-2 run of their own to cut the deficit to 28-25 with 2:59 left in the first half. SJU, however, did not score for the remainder of the half and UST hit a trey with three seconds left to take a 32-25 lead into the break (and finish 7-for-12 from long range).

Senior post Kyle Sorenson (Caledonia, Minn.) had a made three-pointer negated, which would have tied the game at 45-45, on a rare three-second violation with 10:14 to play. SJU continued to claw back, tying the game at 47-47 and 49-49, but UST ended the game 6-for-7 from the field to the Johnnies' 6-for-14. The Tommies shot 70 percent (14-for-20) in the second half to finish at 55.3 percent (26-for-47) for the game.

SJU entered the bonus down 47-45 with 8:35 remaining and went to the line once, on a non-shooting foul, the rest of the way. The Johnnies finished 14-for-15 from the charity stripe in the loss.

Junior wing Oakley Baker (Geneva, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva) led SJU, which shot 53.6 percent (15-for-28) in the second half and 45.3 percent (24-for-53) overall, with 19 points. He cut the Johnnies' deficit to 65-61 on a four-point play with 1:07 remaining. 

Senior wing Jubie Alade (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) followed with 14 points and senior post Zach Hanson (New Prague, Minn.) added 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Tommy Anderson led the Tommies with 19 points.

SJU posted a 28-25 edge in rebounds (7-2 offensive) and out-scored UST 10-0 in second-chance points. The Tommies, meanwhile, scored 15 points off seven Johnnie turnovers (SJU scored 10 points off 10 UST miscues).

The Johnnies end their regular-season schedule with a 1 p.m. tip-off against Bethel next Saturday, Feb. 22, in Arden Hills.