Box Score

NORTHFIELD, Minn. – A late drought handed Saint John's basketball a 77-72 loss at first-place Carleton on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

A traditional three-point play from senior post Mitchell Plombon (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) gave the Johnnies (13-9, 10-7 MIAC) a 10-point lead (63-53) with 9:31 remaining, but the visitors proceeded to make only two of their final 12 shot attempts (with a 5-for-7 showing from the free-throw line) and committed three turnovers the rest of the way. 

The Johnnies' two made field goals came in back-to-back possessions from junior wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview), which made it 71-67 in favor of SJU with 3:35 left. Luke Harris made two free throws for Carleton (19-3, 14-3 MIAC) and Jeremy Beckler took advantage of an SJU miscue to tie the game at 71-71 with 2:41 on the clock. Another bucket from Beckler gave the Knights their first lead of the game and two free throws from Beck Page made it 75-71 with 20 seconds left.

SJU was in the double-bonus with 5:55 remaining, but Carleton's lone defensive foul the rest of the game came with eight seconds left. Plombon made one of two, but Page missed both attempts from the charity stripe. Unfortunately for SJU, Alex Gibbens grabbed the Knights' 13th offensive rebound of the night and Beckler iced the game with two more free throws. Carleton scored 20 second-chance points off the 13 offensive boards in the game.

The Johnnies started the game hot, making 15 of their first 21 shots and their first seven from three point-range. SJU ended the first half by making just one of its last nine shots and took a 42-33 lead into halftime after holding a 16-point advantage (42-26) with 1:54 left. The end of the first half, however, did not come without controversy. SJU was whistled for a shooting foul with 0.4 left on the clock and Beckler made both free throws. On the in-bounds play, freshman guard Kyle Johnson (Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle) took a smooth catch-and-shoot from three-quarters length of the court and made the shot, but the officials waved it off. The Johnnies finished at 55.2 percent (16-for-29) from the field in the first half, including 8-for-12 (66.7 percent) from long range. 

The shooting percentage flipped, however, as the Knights shot exactly 16-for-29 in the second half to the Johnnies' 34.6 percent (9-for-26).

Thissen led SJU with 21 points, his seventh 20-point game of the season and 14th of his career, with a perfect 7-for-7 night from the free-throw line.

Plombon registered his third double-double of the season and sixth of his career – 14 points and 10 rebounds, while senior post Carson Schoeller (Prior Lake, Minn.) was the other Johnnie in double digits with 10 points.

Johnson and junior guard Brandon Adelman (New London, Minn./New London-Spicer) both went 3-for-4 from behind the arc for nine points.

Beckler led all scorers with 31 points and Harris added 24. The rest of the Knights combined to shoot 32.1 percent (9-for-28) from the field.

The Johnnies return home to host Saint Mary's (14-8, 10-7 MIAC) for Alumni/Senior Day at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, in Sexton Arena. SJU will honor its alumni and seniors prior to tip-off, and Jubie Alade '20 at halftime.