Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 23 Saint John's basketball ended the game with an 18-8 run over the final 8:15 to defeat Carleton 72-66 on Saturday, Dec. 7, in Sexton Arena.
A layup from Luke Harris gave Carleton (5-2, 1-1 MIAC) a four-point lead (58-54) with 8:16 to play before senior guard
Zach Longueville (Eagan, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) drilled a three-pointer on the other end of the court and Harris answered with another bucket with 6:45 on the clock for a 60-57 advantage. Harris finished with 32 points on 11-for-22 shooting, as well as five rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Knights.
Longueville started a 10-0 run for SJU (6-2, 2-0 MIAC) with a layup on the ensuing possession and recorded two-consecutive steals that the home team turned into four more points. Senior wing
Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) made his third trey of the game to give SJU a 67-60 lead with 3:11 remaining.
The Knights, however, responded with a 5-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Harris to cut Carleton's deficit to five (67-65). Thissen answered with a drive to the basket and the visitors missed their final three shot attempts of the game. A sprawling effort for an offensive rebound by senior wing
Connor Schwob (Waconia, Minn.) led to a foul and two free throws from senior guard
Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) with 14 seconds left that virtually sealed the victory.
Thissen led the Johnnies with 22 points for his second-straight, 20-point game. He finished 8-for-12 from the floor, including a 3-for-4 performance from behind the arc, and grabbed eight rebounds in 35:56 played.
Senior guard
Luke Healy (Hudson, Wis.) added 12 points off the bench and Longueville chipped in 10 (eight in the second half). SJU scored 16 points off seven Carleton turnovers and the home team outscored the Knights 25-6 in bench points.
Senior guard
Blake Berg (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) scored only four points, but filled the stat sheet with a career-high seven assists, three blocks and three rebounds.
The Johnnies visit Minnesota-Morris (2-5, 0-0 UMAC) for a 5:30 p.m. non-conference game on Monday, Dec. 9.