Box Score

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Saint John's basketball shot 45.2 percent (14-for-31) from three-point range and missed one free throw in a 77-64 win over Stockton (N.J.) as part of the Small College Basketball (SCB) Champions Classic on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 18) at Division II Northern State.

The Johnnies (1-2 overall) ended the game at 50 percent (25-for-50) overall and 92.9 percent (13-for-14) from the free-throw line. SJU made all 10 free throws in the second half.

SJU started the game with an 11-0 run and led by as much as 17 (40-23) with 3:05 left in the first half, but the Ospreys (2-2 overall) closed with a 10-3 advantage to give the Johnnies a 43-33 lead at the break. The Cardinal and Blue shot 60 percent (15-for-25) in the game's first 20 minutes, including 58.8 percent (10-for-17) from three-point range. Five different Johnnies made a three-pointer in the first half.

Stockton cut its deficit to three on two occasions in the second half, but a pair of SJU junior guards – Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) at 13:13 and Zach Longueville (Eagan, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) at 11:40 – drilled three pointers. SJU led by eight (67-59) with two minutes remaining when Stockton was called for a foul – the team's seventh – and two technical fouls. Vaughn made all four free throws for the technicals and both in the one-and-one to make it 73-59.

Senior guard Blake Berg (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) led SJU with 20 points, the second 20-point game of his collegiate career. He scored 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting (3-for-4 from three-point) in the first half alone. Berg also collected four assists, three rebounds and two blocks.

Longueville and Vaughn added 17 points apiece, while junior wing Luke Budzyn (St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge) grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds. Longueville made a career-high five treys (5-for-9) and Vaughn was a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Budzyn and senior wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) scored six points each.

D.J. Campbell led Stockton, which knocked off No. 4 Keene State (N.H.) 87-71 yesterday but never led against SJU, with 30 points and eight rebounds. The Ospreys edged the Johnnies on the glass, 33-31, including a 14-4 margin on the offensive end (for a 13-4 scoring advantage in second-chance points) but shot 35.2 percent (25-for-71) from the floor.

The Johnnies begin conference play with a rematch of the 2023 MIAC Playoff championship game - a 7 p.m. tip-off at Carleton (1-0 overall) - on Tuesday, Nov. 21, in Northfield.