The Johnnie basketball team makes the trip to Moorhead for a 3 p.m. tip-off at Concordia this Saturday, Jan. 29. – Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (14-3, 11-1 MIAC) shot 64.3 percent (18-for-28) in the second half to erase a five-point deficit and earn a 65-50 win at Carleton Wednesday night (Jan. 26) in Northfield. The Johnnies broke a 30-30 tie with an 8-0 run and closed the game by scoring 11 of the final 14 points. SJU went 7-for-12 (58.3 percent) from three-point range after halftime. 

The first half was a different story for the visitors, however, as SJU committed seven turnovers and shot only 31.8 percent (7-for-22) overall, including 1-for-9 from behind the arc, to trail Carleton by a 23-18 margin. The 18 points was the program's fewest in a first half since the Johnnies scored 16 against Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Dec. 14, 2013, in Collegeville.

Freshman guard Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) led all scorers with 19 points, 16 of which came in the second half.

Senior post Zach Hanson (New Prague, Minn.) was the other Johnnie in double figures with 13 points. He also contributed five rebounds and three blocks. 

Senior guard Colton Codute (Wayzata, Minn./Orono) and junior post Carson Schoeller (Prior Lake, Minn.) chipped in eight points apiece. Schoeller came off the bench and hit back-to-back treys inside of seven minutes to play, while Codute followed suit to increase SJU's lead from seven (54-47) to 13 with 2:25 remaining.

WELL-ADJUSTED: Halftime adjustments seem to be working for SJU, which is shooting 53.0 percent from the floor in the second half this season, including 43.5 percent (77-for-177) from three-point range. The second-half shooting percentages are even more impressive - 59.4 percent (82-for-138) overall and 57.1 percent (32-for-56) from three-point - over the last five games.

THE WEST GYM: Wednesday's victory was SJU's 19th in 41 trips to Carleton's West Gymnasium and the largest margin of a Johnnie victory in the building since Jan. 8, 2001 (70-51). Only four of the 19 wins were decided by 15 points or more, and the first two were in the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons. The other 15 victories were decided by an average of 4.7 points (six by one point). 

UP TO 37TH: Hanson's 13 points Wednesday at Carleton enabled him to pass Corey Jackson '96 and Nate Guetter '99 into 37th in school history with 1,023. Hanson is three points away from 36th and passing Kipp Christianson '97.

STAT COMPARISONS: SJU continues to lead the MIAC in shooting percentage, overall and three-point, as well as scoring defense, in conference games. Concordia, meanwhile, touts the league's top free-throw percentage, but is tied for last in scoring defense and is third from the bottom from three-point range.

Scoring Offense
3. SJU, 75.5 ppg. (73.6 overall)
6. CON, 68.0 ppg. (67.2 overall)

Scoring Defense
1. SJU, 60.3 ppg. (61.8 overall)
t10. CON, 75.7 ppg. (73.6 overall) 

Shooting Percentage
1. SJU, 52.1 percent (51.0 overall)
5. CON, 45.5 percent (45.0 overall)

Three-Point Percentage
1. SJU, 45.6 percent (40.2 overall)
9. CON, 31.9 percent (29.9 overall)

Free-Throw Percentage
1. CON, 77.5 percent (72.1 overall)
4. SJU, 73.8 percent (72.8 overall)

Rebounding
9. SJU, 32.0 rpg. (32.4 overall)
12. CON, 29.6 rpg. (31.5 overall)

A LOOK AT THE COBBERS: Concordia (4-9, 3-7 MIAC) suffered its second straight loss, and third in the last four games, by a narrow 67-65 decision Wednesday night (Jan. 26) at Macalester. The Scots' Caleb Williams stole the ball and scored a breakaway layup in the closing seconds for the win. Freshman (6-foot-6) forward Rowan Nelson tied a career high with 25 points to lead all scorers. He leads the team in scoring (17.6 ppg.), which is good for third in the MIAC and first among all conference freshmen. Junior (6-foot-3) guard Braeton Motschenbacher (13.5 ppg.) and freshman (6-foot-7) forward Dylan Inniger (10.7 ppg.) are the other Cobbers who average in double digits. Motschenbacher did not play against SJU in December.

EARLIER THIS SEASON: SJU scored 22 points off 13 Concordia-Moorhead turnovers in an 87-76 home win back on Dec. 3 in Sexton Arena. The Johnnies shot 57.6 percent (34-for-59) from the field, including 66.7 percent (16-for-24) in the second half. The home game was a long time coming for the Johnnie basketball program, as SJU opened the 2021-22 season with its first seven games on the road (nine of the first 10). The game was 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.

The Cobbers led by as much as five (24-19) with nine minutes remaining in the first half and by three (31-28) with 4:07 before intermission. SJU, however, answered with a 12-2 run to take a 40-33 lead into the break and scored the first seven points of the second half. The Johnnies led by as much as 17 (83-66).

Sophomore wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) led four Johnnies in double figures with 23 points on 10 of 14 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. Hanson followed closely with 22 points, six rebounds and tied a career high with five assists. 

Sophomore guard Blake Berg (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) added 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting off the bench and Vaughn tallied 11 points.

Nelson scored a game-high 25 points for CC, which finished at 54.4 percent (31-for-57) from the field and doubled its season average (21.4 percent) from three-point land (44.4 percent, 8-for-18).

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 81-35 against Concordia since the 1964-65 season, but just 30-28 in Moorhead during that span. The Johnnies have won each of the last eight meetings overall.