Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's basketball received 37 points from its bench and shot 51.6 percent (32-for-62) from the field in a 79-60 win – the 150th of head coach
Pat McKenzie's career – over Gustavus Adolphus on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
The Johnnies (13-7, 10-5 MIAC) entered the game with the sixth-best shooting percentage (.497) in NCAA Division III and recorded 23 assists on 32 made field goals. The home team shot 61.1 percent (22-for-36)
inside the arc, including 72.2 percent (13-for-18) in the second half.
SJU held GAC (9-12, 9-7 MIAC) to 29.6 percent (8-for-27) from the field in the first half for a 36-28 halftime lead. The Gusties made five of their first six shots of the second half, including all three attempts from three-point range, to cut the Johnnies' lead to four (45-41). Sophomore guard
Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) responded with a three-pointer to extend the lead and junior wing
Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) answered with buckets both times Gustavus made it a five-point game on the next two possessions. Five points was the closest GAC would get as SJU eventually broke an eight-point game open with an 11-0 run over a four-minute span.
Thissen led SJU with 16 points and three teammates scored in double digits off the bench. Junior guard
Brandon Adelman (New London, Minn./New London-Spicer), who was fresh off his career-high 17 points in Monday night's loss at Concordia, totaled 12 points, six rebounds and four assists. Freshman guard
Kyle Johnson (Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle) tallied a career-high 11 points and junior guard
Blake Berg (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) added 10 points and four assists. The trio combined to shoot 7-for-12 from behind the arc.
Vaughn ended the night with eight points and a career high six assists, while senior post
Mitchell Plombon (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) just missed a double-double with nine points and nine boards.
Spencer Swanson, the reigning U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III Men's Basketball National Player of the Week, led all scorers with 17 points on 7-for-20 shooting.
McKenzie '04 currently has a 150-44 (.773) record in eight seasons as head coach, including a 110-29 mark in conference play.
The Johnnies host Hamline (11-9, 7-8 MIAC) at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, in Sexton Arena.
