Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The duo of junior post Zach Hanson (New Prague, Minn.) and senior wing Jubie Alade (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) fueled No. 2 Saint John's basketball to its 21st consecutive win, 75-64 at Augsburg on Saturday, Feb. 8, in Minneapolis.

The tandem combined for 36 of the team's 42 second-half points in the win, which locked up a top-two finish in the conference and a bye in the first round of the MIAC Playoffs for SJU (21-1, 17-0 MIAC).

Hanson led SJU with a career-high 29 points, on 11 of 14 shooting, and added six rebounds. Alade, meanwhile, scored 24 points, his seventh 20-point game of the season and 14th of his career, which enabled him to pass Alex Schmitt '16 for 12th on SJU's all-time scoring list with 1,305 career points. Mike Nester '02 is next on the chart in 11th (1,314).

SJU went on a 12-0 run to gain a 33-24 lead late in the first half, but Augsburg (15-6, 11-5 MIAC) scored the final four points to end a six-minute (5:59) scoring drought and cut the Johnnies' lead to five (33-28) at the break. 

The Auggies started the second half with an 8-3 advantage to tie the game at 36-36 with 16:45 to play. That's when Alade and Hanson took over. Alade drilled a pair of three-pointers and the two exchanged buckets to send SJU on a 10-0 run. All told, Alade (19) and Hanson (13) combined for the Johnnies' next 32 points following the 36-36 tie.

Senior post Lucas Walford (Elko, Minn./New Prague) sunk a pair of free throws with 1:39 remaining to give SJU a 10-point lead (70-60) and become the first Johnnie not named Alade or Hanson to score a point in the half.

Hanson finished 6 of 7 from the floor for 14 points, while Alade went 7 of 12 (4-for-5 from three-point) for 22 points in the second half alone.

Walford finished with four points, all at the free-throw line, and 13 rebounds. Sophomore guard Colton Codute (Wayzata, Minn./Orono) scored seven points and junior wing Oakley Baker (Geneva, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva) dished a career-high seven assists.

Augsburg's Booker Coplin matched Hanson's 29 points, on 10 of 23 shooting (3-for-11 from three-point), and totaled eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks. The Auggies finished at 36.2 percent (21-for-58) from the field and their 12 turnovers turned into 16 points for SJU.

SJU has now won 14 of the last 16 meetings with Augsburg and each of the last six in Minneapolis.

The Johnnies return to the Twin Cities to take on Macalester (7-14, 4-12 MIAC) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, in St. Paul.