Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. - No. 3 Saint John's basketball ended the game with a 14-4 run to win the MIAC opener at Hamline, 79-75 on Saturday, Feb. 6, in Hutton Arena.

Down six (71-65) with 5:31 remaining, SJU (2-0, 1-0 MIAC) made three of its final four shot attempts - all three-pointers - and went 5-for-7 from the free-throw line. Defensively, however, is where the Johnnies earned the win in the closing minutes as Hamline (1-3, 0-1 MIAC) made one of its final seven shots (0-for-4 from three-point range) and committed three turnovers.

Senior post Zach Hanson (New Prague, Minn.) played 39 minutes and led all scorers with 27 points, on 12 of 16 shooting, and grabbed 12 rebounds for his sixth career double-double. His first collegiate double-double was a 21-point, 12-rebound performance on Jan. 26, 2019, at Hamline.

Senior wing Oakley Baker (Geneva, Minn./New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva) set career marks for points (24) and made three-pointers (7-for-11), while collecting five rebounds and five assists in the victory.

Baker brought SJU to within one (71-70) on his seventh trey of the afternoon with 4:26 left and junior guard Colton Codute (Wayzata, Minn./Orono), the reigning MIAC Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week, put the visitors ahead 73-71 with a three-pointer of his own from the top of the key at the 3-minute mark.

The Pipers, however, tied the game on a pair of free throws from Luke Siwek and took the lead, 75-73, on a jumper from Jake Larson with 1:25 remaining.

Sophomore post Mitchell Plombon (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) put SJU back in front for good with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession. Siwek was then called for a charge on the other end of the court and Plombon made one of his two shots from the charity stripe with 35 seconds left. Plombon finished with a career-high 13 points.

Down two, Hamline snagged two offensive rebounds, but Jake Larson lost the ball out of bounds with three ticks left on the clock. Baker was fouled on the in-bounds play and made both of his free throws to end the game's scoring.

SJU finished at 58.3 percent (28-for-48) from the field, including 52.2 percent (12-for-23) from behind the arc. Both stats were far cries from the game's first 6.5 minutes, as the Johnnies started 0-for-7 from the floor (0-for-3 from three-point) with three turnovers. Despite the cold start, SJU only trailed 5-1. The lone point was a made free throw from Baker after HU was whistled for a technical foul - due to a scorebook error - following the opening tip-off.

The Johnnies bounced back from the frigid start to go 13-for-17 from the field (6-for-9 from three-point) and led 33-31 at halftime. 

Siwek led HU, which shot 42.2 percent overall (35.7 percent from long-range), with 18 points and Michael Dillon added 17. The Pipers seemingly erased the shooting-percentage differential by going 11-for-11 at the free-throw line, scoring 10 points off 13 SJU turnovers and posting 12 second-chance points.

SJU held its largest lead of the game, five (43-38), three minutes into the second half, but HU answered with a 9-2 run.

The Johnnies return home to host Concordia (0-1, 0-1 MIAC) for a 7 p.m. conference game on Wednesday, Feb. 10, in Sexton Arena.