Box Score

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Saint John's basketball opened the Small College Basketball (SCB) Champions Classic with an 80-78 loss to Wisconsin-Platteville on Friday afternoon, Nov. 17, at Division II Northern State's Wachs Arena.

The Pioneers (3-0 overall) had their largest lead of the game – 12 (74-62) – with 3:02 remaining in the contest, but SJU (0-2 overall) responded with a 16-6 run, including 10 points from junior guard Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.). Vaughn's three-quarter-court heave at the final buzzer, however, hit high off the backboard to end the game.

Down 18-13 halfway through the first half (9:54), SJU went on a 17-0 run before UWP answered with a 12-0 run of its own. A dunk from junior wing Luke Budzyn (St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge) started the Johnnies' scoring flurry, while junior guard Luke Healy (six points; Hudson, Wis.), junior wing Griffin Rushin (five points; Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) and senior wing Ryan Thissen (four points; Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) provided the rest. The Pioneers' scoring run was fueled by a traditional three-point play from Logan Pearson and three-straight treys from Max Love. Sophomore guard Kyle Johnson's (Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle) three-pointer gave the lead back to SJU with 45 seconds left in the half and the score stayed put at 33-30 for intermission.

Vaughn led five Johnnies in double figures with 19 points, thanks to a 4-for-6 showing from three-point range and 7-for-7 at the free-throw line, all of which came in the second half.

Healy and Thissen followed with 12 points apiece, while senior guard Blake Berg (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) added 11. Budzyn posted his first collegiate double-double – 11 points and 10 rebounds – in his second varsity start.

Pearson totaled a game-high 28 points for UWP and Love finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. 

Shooting percentages were nearly identical – 41.5 percent (27-for-65) for Platteville and 41.1 percent (23-for-56) for SJU – and both teams performed well at the charity stripe. The Pioneers ended at 81 percent (17-for-21) at the foul line, while the Johnnies made 24 of their final 25 attempts after starting the game 0-for-3. SJU edged UWP on the glass, 34-32, though the Pioneers recorded a 15-9 scoring advantage off turnovers (9-0 in the second half alone).

The Johnnies end the tournament with a noon tip-off against Stockton (N.J.) on Saturday, Nov. 18, in Aberdeen S.D. The Ospreys (2-1 overall), like Platteville, received votes in the D3hoops.com preseason poll. Stockton upset No. 4 Keene State (N.H.) 87-71 earlier Friday in the tournament opener.