Saint John's basketball plays host to Concordia for its long-awaited home opener at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, in Sexton Arena. – Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats/Live Video

MASK POLICY: All students, employees & visitors to campus are required to wear a mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status. 

SJU expects masking for unvaccinated individuals in high-density outdoor events where social distancing cannot be maintained.

FINALLY AT HOME: Saturday's home game is a long time coming for the Johnnie basketball program. SJU opened the 2021-22 season with its first seven games on the road (nine of the first 10), including all five non-conference tilts. Tomorrow's tip-off is the first for fans in Sexton Arena since SJU defeated Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs on March 7, 2020; a span of 637 days. 

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (5-2, 2-0 MIAC) shot 59.1 percent (13-for-22) in the second half to pull away from Saint Mary's for a 73-63 road win Wednesday night (Dec. 1) in Winona.

The Johnnies held a slim, 30-29 halftime lead thanks to a 39.3-percent (11-for-28) shooting performance, including 1-for-9 from three-point range, in the game's first 20 minutes. 

SJU led by as much as 11 (51-40) with 10:45 remaining, but Saint Mary's chipped away at the deficit to make it a two-point game (60-58) with 7:15 left. The Cardinals, however, proceeded to make just two of their final 11 shot attempts and went 0-for-2 from the free-throw line.

Senior post Zach Hanson (New Prague, Minn.) recorded the ninth double-double of his career, a season-high 18 points and 12 rebounds, while freshman guard Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) matched him with a career-high 18 points. Fifteen of Vaughn's points came in the second half.

Sophomore wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) followed with 14 points and sophomore guard Blake Berg (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) added 11 points off the bench.

Raheem Anthony led all scorers with 23 points for SMU, which entered the night shooting 38.3 percent (75-196) and 23.3 percent (20-86) from three-point through the first three games. The home team finished 12-for-27 (44.4 percent) from behind the arc and 43.6 percent (24-for-55) overall.

SJU out-rebounded Saint Mary's 38-25 and went 21-for-26 from the free-throw line. The Johnnies were in the bonus for the game's final 9:27.

STAT COMPARISONS
Scoring
-SJU, 70.4 ppg.
-CON, 62.8 ppg.

Shooting Percentage
-SJU, 48.1 percent (186-for-387)
-CON, 40.8 percent (93-for-228)

Three-Point Percentage
-SJU, 28.8 percent (42-for-146)
-CON, 21.4 percent (15-for-70)

Free-Throw Percentage
-SJU, 74.5 percent (79-for-106)
-CON, 61.0 percent (50-for-82)

Rebounding
-CON, 36.8 rpg.
-SJU, 34.4 rpg.

A LOOK AT THE COBBERS: Concordia (2-3, 1-1 MIAC) won by forfeit over a COVID-stricken Macalester team last Tuesday (Nov. 23), days after the Cobbers suffered a 63-58 home loss to Wisconsin-Superior on Nov. 20. The Cobbers shot 45.8 percent (22-for-48) from the floor. Junior Braeton Motschenbacher had a team-high 15 points, all of which came in the second half. He also grabbed five rebounds. Motschenbacher leads the team in scoring (15.5 ppg.) and minutes (33.8 mpg.). 

TWO YEARS AGO: The Johnnies swept the season series with the Cobbers for the third consecutive campaign in 2019-20.

at Saint John's 66, Concordia 41 (Dec. 4, 2019)
Then-No. 12 SJU broke the game open with a 16-0 run to start the second half in a 66-41 win over Concordia back on Dec. 4, 2019, in Collegeville. The Johnnies held the Cobbers to a 26.8-percent (15-for-56) shooting performance overall and out-scored the visitors by a 16-1 margin off turnovers in the victory.

Wing Jubie Alade '20 became the 38th Johnnie in program history to score 1,000 career points with 3:08 left in the first half. He led all scorers with 18 points, while adding five rebounds and four steals. 

Both teams experienced sluggish starts as SJU led by a 12-4 score with 8:18 remaining in the opening half. SJU made five of its first 15 shots, while CC made only two of its first 14 attempts and committed five turnovers. The Cobbers cut it to three points (12-9) with 7:18 left, but the Johnnies answered with a 17-8 run to take a 29-17 lead into halftime.

SJU finished at 47.3 percent (26-for-55) from the field, despite a cold night from three-point range (22.7 percent/5-for-22), and out-rebounded CC by a 42-33 edge.

Hanson tallied 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting and guard Sean Ryan '20 added eight points, thanks in large part to a pair of treys in the final 2:32 of the first half. Lucas Walford '20 registered seven points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes.

Tommy Schyma led the Cobbers with 14 points. CC entered the game shooting 49.8 percent from the floor in its first five games this season. 

Saint John's, 73, at Concordia 38 (Jan. 22, 2020)
Then-No. 2 SJU won its 16th consecutive game, the 100th of head coach Pat McKenzie's '04 career, with a 73-38 score at Concordia on Jan. 22, 2019.

Twelve different Johnnies scored a bucket or more in the win. The last time SJU held an opponent under 40 points occurred Dec. 29, 2001: a 60-39, neutral-site win over Luther (Iowa) at Wisconsin-River Falls.

The Johnnies out-scored the Cobbers 24-4 in the paint and shot 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from three-point land in the victory. SJU held Concordia to 22.2 percent (6-for-27) shooting, including 0-for-8 from behind the arc, in the first half and led 42-13 at the break.

Alade led all scorers with 14 points, 10 of which came in the first half, in 22 minutes of play.

Wing Oakley Baker '21 followed with 11 points and Walford one rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes.

Jackson Jangula led CC with 10 points off the bench. The Cobbers finished at 29.4 percent (15-for-51) from the floor, including 11.1 percent (2-for-18) from behind the arc.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 80-35 against Concordia since the 1964-65 season, including a 50-7 record in Collegeville. The Johnnies have won each of the last seven meetings overall and 12 of the last 14 matchups in Sexton Arena. Both losses were decided by three points or less.