Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's basketball clinched its 29th appearance in the MIAC Playoffs (est. 1984-85) and 11th consecutive with a 90-58 win over Saint Mary's on Saturday, Feb. 11, in Sexton Arena.
The Johnnies (14-9, 11-7 MIAC) shot 67.2 percent (39-for-58) in the victory, including a 32-for-39 performance (82.1 percent)
inside the three-point arc.
SJU honored its six seniors (four student-athletes and two managers) prior to Saturday's tip-off and the 2019-20 MIAC Player of the Year, Jubie Alade '20 (
left), at halftime.
With the win, SJU improves to 95-22 against the Cardinals since the 1964-65 season, including a 58-1 record in Collegeville. SJU has now won 55 straight at home (51-0 in the Warner Palaestra) in the series.
SJU shot 66.7 percent (18-for-27) in the first half – 17-for-20 inside the arc – to take a 38-30 lead into halftime. The lead fluctuated for the second half's first seven minutes but was still eight (52-44) with 12:26 remaining. The Johnnies, however, erupted with a 28-2 run – including 17 straight points over a 4:02 span – to build a 30-point margin the rest of the way.
Junior wing
Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) led all scorers with 20 points – one of five Johnnies in double figures – on a perfect 10-for-10 showing from the field. The performance was SJU's best since Lucas Walford '20 went 10-for-10 from the floor on Dec. 21, 2019, at Willamette (Ore.), though Chris Neumann '13 recorded one more shot (11-for-11) on Jan. 9, 2013, against Concordia-Moorhead.
Junior guard
Blake Berg (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) followed with 14 points, including eight of the team's first 12, and a career-high six assists. Sophomore guard
Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) recorded 11 points and five rebounds and two Johnnies – senior post
Carson Schoeller (Prior Lake, Minn.) and junior guard
Brandon Adelman (New London, Minn./New London-Spicer) – added 10 points apiece off the bench. Schoeller fell one rebound shy of a double-double.
Raheem Anthony led SMU (14-9, 10-8 MIAC), which finished at 35.2 percent (19-for-54) for the game, with 17 points on 4-for-10 shooting. He entered the game as the NCAA Division III leader in made field goals (204) and points (543), and was second in points per game (24.7).
SJU scored a season-high 21 points off 12 Cardinal turnovers and posted a 34-24 advantage on the glass. The 90 points scored were a season high and the most since Jan. 20, 2020 (a 90-60 home win over Macalester). The .672 shooting percentage was also the program's best since Nov. 28, 2018 (.694 in a 90-55 home victory over Bethel).
The Johnnies play host to Macalester (15-8, 11-7 MIAC) for the final home game of the regular season at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, in Collegeville.
