Box Score

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Saint John's basketball won Wisconsin-Superior's Merrill Thompson Classic with a 67-45 victory over the host Yellowjackets on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Consistency was the name of the game for SJU (2-0 overall), which shot 46.7 percent (14-for-30) in the first half and 46.4 percent (13-for-28) in the second. The Johnnies countered an off day from long range (17.6 percent, 3-for-17) by going 24-for-41 (58.5 percent) inside the arc. 

Defensively, the Johnnies held Superior (1-1 overall) to 29.6 percent (8-for-27) in the second half (33.3 percent for the game).  

Sophomore wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) led all scorers with 18 points on 7 of 13 shooting and collected eight rebounds. SJU's starting posts, senior Zach Hanson (New Prague, Minn.) and junior Mitchell Plombon (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral), scored 11 points apiece. 

Freshman guard Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) tallied a career-high seven points and senior guard Colton Codute (Wayzata, Minn./Orono) filled the scoresheet with five points, eight rebounds and seven assists.  

The Johnnies hit the road for another two-game tournament this Friday-Saturday, Nov. 12-13, at No. 4 Illinois Wesleyan's Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational in Bloomington, Ill.  SJU faces No. 17 Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the opener at 5 p.m. Friday and will play either Hope (Mich.) or the host Spartans at 4/6 p.m. Saturday.