Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's basketball extended its win streak to eight games with a 75-72 victory over St. Olaf on Monday, Jan. 10, in Collegeville.
The game was the first in nearly a month (Dec. 14) for SJU (10-2, 8-0 MIAC), which shot 50 percent (25-for-50) from the field and 47.4 percent (9-for-19) from three-point range in the win.
The Johnnies led by 10 (39-29) at the break, thanks to a hot start (56 percent overall and 58.3 percent from behind the arc), and by as much as 12 (43-31) in the second half.
SJU, however, went nearly six minutes (5:57) between made field goals and made two buckets during an 8:10 span as St. Olaf (7-6, 3-5 MIAC) cut its deficit to one (53-52) with 7:56 to play.
The home team's lead swung between six and four points for most of the game's final seven minutes and the Johnnies went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in the last 32 seconds to seal the victory. The Oles' Dominic Bledsoe was fouled behind the three-point arc twice in the final 12 seconds and made all six free throws to make it a two-point game (74-72). Sophomore wing
Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) made one of his two attempts from the charity stripe and Bledsoe's game-tying trey bounced off the rim as time expired.
Thissen led four Johnnies in double figures with a season-high 25 points. He just missed his first collegiate double-double with nine rebounds and added four assists.
Senior guard
Colton Codute (Wayzata, Minn./Orono) followed with 14 points, 12 of which came in the first half on a 4-for-4 performance from long range, and junior post
Mitchell Plombon (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) added 10 points.
Freshman guard
Zach Longueville (Eagan, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran), the MIAC's top three-point shooter (51.6 percent), recorded 11 points off the bench on a 3-for-4 night from downtown.
Bledsoe led STO, which finished at 48.1 percent (25-for-52) from the floor, with 25 points.
The Johnnies travel south to face Gustavus Adolphus (6-5, 3-5 MIAC) for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday, Jan. 12, in St. Peter.
