Top-seeded Saint John's basketball plays host to eighth-seeded Hamline in the MIAC quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, in Sexton Arena. - Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats/Live Video

SPECTATOR POLICY: Saint John's University updated the spectator policy for its home basketball games in Sexton Arena.

-Masks are required at all times (this has been the policy all season long).

-Social distancing is strongly encouraged.

TICKET INFO: Admission is $10 for adult and $2 for any student (5 years old and younger are free). There is no senior discount. MIAC passes will be honored, though no other passes will be accepted.

-The ticket booth and entrance to Sexton Arena will open at 6 p.m. 
-Those with MIAC passes need to go to the ticket window to receive a ticket into the game.
-Those that have reserved seats can still sit in their spot, but will need to purchase a ticket.
-CSB/SJU students need to download their tickets from www.gojohnnies.com/tickets with their Banner ID. 
-General admission tickets can be purchased in advance at www.gojohnnies.com/tickets. 

PLAYOFF SHIFT: The MIAC AD Council approved changes to the remaining basketball playoff rounds on Monday (Feb. 20) due to weather, travel impact and safety concerns for student-athletes, coaches, officials, parents and fans. 

All rounds will shift back one day: 

-Quarterfinals | Wednesday, Feb. 23 - 7 p.m.
-Semifinals | Friday, Feb. 25 - 7 p.m.
-Championship | Sunday, Feb. 26 - 2 p.m.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (20-4, 17-2 MIAC) ended the regular-season schedule with a convincing 87-65 win over Gustavus Adolphus last Wednesday (Feb. 16) in Collegeville. The victory clinched SJU's fourth consecutive 20-win season (not counting the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign) and 14th in program history.

The Johnnies shot a blistering 65.5 percent (19-for-29) in the first half and finished at 58.1 percent (36-for-62) for the game, while out-scoring Gustavus 58-28 in the paint. SJU held GAC, which started the night as the MIAC's second-best shooting team (.479) behind SJU (.502) in league play, to 39.3 percent (24-for-61) from the field, including 22.2 percent (4-for-18) from three-point range.

The home team used a 17-4 run over a 5:25 span to build a 45-28 lead, though the Gusties scored the half's final five points to cut SJU's lead to 49-37 at the break.

The Johnnies started the second half with a 9-2 run and put together a 12-2 scoring advantage to gain their largest lead of the night, 29 (77-48), with 8:42 to play.

Sophomore wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) led all scorers with 17 points, 15 of which came in the first half.

Senior post Zach Hanson (New Prague, Minn.) followed with 15 points and eight rebounds in just under 22 minutes. The 15 points lifted him past Kevin Buth '03 (1,099) and John Wiehoff '84 (1,106) into 25th in program history with 1,111 career points.

Junior post Mitchell Plombon (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) added 12 points and five rebounds, before fouling out with 4:59 remaining, and freshman guard Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) chipped in 11 points.

SJU'S MIAC PLAYOFF HISTORY: The 2022 MIAC playoff appearance is the program's 28th since the postseason tournament began in 1984-85 and the 10th consecutive. The Johnnies are 25-20 in MIAC Playoff games, including a 16-7 record in Collegeville.

RECEIVING VOTES: The Johnnies gained 17 votes from last week's D3hoops.com Top 25 to a total of 26, two behind No. 25 Stockton (N.J.) in the latest rankings released Monday night (Feb. 21).

REGIONAL RANKINGS: SJU stayed at No. 4 in the latest NCAA Region 9 rankings released today (Feb. 22).

1. Wisconsin-Oshkosh
2. Wisconsin-Platteville
3. Wisconsin-La Crosse
4. SJU
5. Wisconsin-River Falls
6. Wisconsin-Whitewater
7. Dubuque, Iowa
8. Buena Vista, Iowa
9. Wisconsin-Stout

STAT COMPARISONS: The Johnnies ended the MIAC schedule as the conference's leader in scoring defense, as well as shooting percentage (both overall and from three-point). SJU was also second from the free-throw line.

Scoring Offense
3. SJU, 74.1 ppg. (73.0 overall)
11. HAM, 62.2 ppg. (65.4 overall)

Scoring Defense
1. SJU, 59.3 ppg. (60.6 overall *No. 6 in Division III)
4. HAM, 68.2 ppg. (69.1 overall)

Shooting Percentage
1. SJU, .506 (.502 overall *No. 5 in Division III)
10. HAM, .408 (.415 overall)

Three-Point Percentage
1. SJU, .426 (.393 overall *No. 4 in Division III)
5. HAM, .346 (.349 overall)

Free-Throw Percentage
2. SJU, .746 (.737 overall)
4. HAM, .728 (.698 overall)

Rebounding
9. SJU, 32.7 rpg. (32.8 overall)
10. HAM, 30.7 rpg. (32.1 overall)

MIAC LEADERS: For the fifth consecutive (full) season, SJU led the MIAC in shooting percentage in conference play and in three-point percentage for the fourth time in the previous five seasons. The Johnnies also led the MIAC with the fewest turnovers committed for the second straight year (2019-20, 2021-22).

Individually, Vaughn led the MIAC in three-pointers (55), while junior post Carson Schoeller (Prior Lake, Minn.) met the league's stat requirement (played in 60 percent of the team's games and averaged one made three-pointer per game) to lead the conference in three-point percentage (50.0 percent, 19-for-38). Vaughn was second, among those with 90 attempts or more, at 43.3 percent (55-for-127).

A LOOK AT THE PIPERS: Hamline (10-15, 7-12 MIAC) snapped a two-game skid with an 89-64 home win over Saint Mary's in the MIAC's first round last Saturday (Feb. 19) in St. Paul. The Pipers shot 59.6 percent (31-for-52) from the field and 56.5 percent (13-for-23) from three-point range in the victory. The totals - shooting percentage, three-point percentage and made three-pointers - were season highs. The home team shot a blistering 67.9 percent (19-for-28) from the floor and 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) from behind the arc to gain a 50-34 halftime lead. Senior (6-foot-8) forward Cooper Berg, a transfer from SJU following his freshman season in 2018-19, leads the team in scoring (14.7 ppg.), rebounding (6.6 rpg.) and three-pointers (58). Three others average 10 points or more per game: senior (5-foot-10) guard Jake Larson (10.9 ppg.), junior (6-foot-0) guard Conner Krenos (10.8 ppg.) and freshman (6-foot-4) forward Brad Cimperman (10.2 ppg.). Cimperman and freshman (6-foot-6) forward Mick Wherley transferred from SJU following Fall 2021.

TWO WEEKS AGO: SJU posted a 65-35 win over Hamline two weeks ago (Feb. 7) in Sexton Arena. The 35 points allowed was the Johnnies' fewest since SJU earned a low-scoring 33-32 win at Carleton on Jan. 11, 1984. SJU held Hamline to 29.2 percent (14-for-48) overall and 2-for-17 from three-point range.

Twelve different Johnnies scored a point, including a team-high 18 from Vaughn. Schoeller totaled nine points and seven rebounds, while tying a career high with three blocks off the bench. Sophomore guard Blake Berg (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) followed with eight points in 17 minutes off the bench, while senior guard Colton Codute (Wayzata, Minn./Orono) added five points, five steals and four rebounds.

SJU closed the first half with a 12-6 run to take a 27-15 lead into the break. The home team opened the second half with an 8-0 run and never looked back, leading by as much as 30.

Larson led HU with nine points. The Johnnies out-rebounded the Pipers by a 37-27 margin and out-scored them 34-12 in the paint.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 93-26 all-time against Hamline since the 1964-65 season, including a 52-8 record in Collegeville. SJU has won each of the last 14 meetings overall (head coach Pat McKenzie's tenure) and the last 16 in Sexton Arena. 

The Johnnies are 3-1 against the Pipers in the MIAC Playoffs, with a 2-1 record in Sexton Arena.

-Feb. 23, 1985: W. 54-47 (MIAC Championship, St. Paul)
-Feb. 25, 1988: W, 70-66 (MIAC Semifinals, Collegeville)
-Feb. 21, 2006: L, 71-74 (MIAC Quarterfinals, Collegeville)
-Feb. 21, 2017: W, 86-58 (MIAC Quarterfinals, Co