Box Score

ST. PETER, Minn. – No. 25 Saint John's basketball returned to the win column with a 66-50 victory at Gustavus Adolphus on Tuesday night, Nov. 22, in St. Peter.

SJU (3-2, 1-1 MIAC) broke open a three-point game (19-16) by closing the first half with a 14-5 run for a 33-21 lead at the break. 

The Johnnies rode an 11-0 run during the midpoint of the second half to gain their largest lead of the game, 21 (59-38), with 9:11 remaining. The Gusties answered with an 11-1 run of their own, but junior wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) scored SJU's final six points, including all four shots at the charity stripe. Thissen scored a game-high 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting (2-for-4 from three-point) and grabbed six rebounds. The performance was Thissen's second 20-point game of the season and ninth of his career.

Sophomore guard Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) was the other Johnnie in double digits with 11 points thanks to a 3-for-6 showing from long range. 

Senior post Mitchell Plombon (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) added nine points and classmate Carson Schoeller (Prior Lake, Minn.) scored seven with a career-high 16 rebounds.

GAC (1-3, 1-1 MIAC) was in the bonus thanks to the seventh foul on SJU with 12:58 left in the game but missed the front end of a one-and-one on the next three opportunities. The Gusties finished at 40 percent (18-for-45) for the game, including 30.8 percent (4-for-13) behind the arc, and 55.6 percent (10-for-18) at the free-throw line.

SJU shot 50 percent (12-for-24) from the floor to finish at 47.2 percent (25-for-53) on the night, with a 41.2-percent showing (7-for-17) from three-point land. The Johnnies out-rebounded the Gusties by a 35-22 margin for their 12th straight win over the Gusties (sixth in a row in St. Peter). 

The Johnnies play host to St. Scholastica, following Thanksgiving Break, for a 7 p.m. game on Wednesday, Nov. 30, in Sexton Arena.