Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John's basketball made half of its shots but committed 22 turnovers in a 75-66 loss at Augsburg on Saturday, Jan. 21, in Minneapolis.

SJU (10-6, 7-4 MIAC) entered the game fifth in the MIAC with an average of 10.5 turnovers per game in conference play. To make matters worse, Augsburg (6-11, 4-8 MIAC) scored 20 points off the miscues and shot eight percentage points better than its season averages from the field (.409) and from the free-throw line (.668).

The Johnnies made eight of their first 12 shots and finished at 60 percent (12-for-20) from the field – to the Auggies' 40.7 percent (11-for-27) – in the first half but trailed 34-28 because of 12 turnovers. The Auggies entered the game shooting 30.4 percent from three-point range and went 4-for-6, as well as a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, in the first half. The 12 first-half turnovers and 22 overall were the most for SJU since Nov. 16, 2018, at Wisconsin-Whitewater (14 in the first half, 22 overall).

The visitors cut their deficit to two (45-43) with 14:12 to play, but AUG answered with an 8-0 run. SJU came to within six on three occasions, the last with 1:52 remaining, but the Auggies scored four-straight points to clinch the win.

Senior post Mitchell Plombon (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) posted 18 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore guard Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) tallied 15 in the second half to match him with 18. Junior wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) was the other Johnnie in double figures with 11.

Conner Knoepfle led Augsburg, which finished at 48.1 percent (25-for-52) from the floor and 75 percent (21-for-28) from the free-throw line, with 25 points. A 65.5-percent shooter from the line, Knoepfle made 12 of his 13 free-throw attempts and scored 17 points in the second half.

SJU outrebounded AUG 30-26 and both teams grabbed 10 offensive boards. The Auggies, however, posted a 14-5 advantage in second-chance points.

The Johnnies return to the road to face St. Scholastica at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, in Duluth.