No. 6 Saint John's travels to face Gustavus Adolphus in a battle for first place in the MIAC at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, in St. Peter. - Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM/95.7 FM) | Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (20-2, 13-0 MIAC) extended its win streak to 16 games with an 80-63 victory over Macalester on Wednesday night (Feb. 12) in Sexton Arena. SJU held the Scots to single digits in points until 9:02 remaining in the first half as the visitors finished at 23.5 percent (8-for-34) from the field and 3-for-19 (15.8 percent) from three-point land in the first half. The Johnnies countered at 47.4 percent (18-for-38) for a 45-21 halftime lead.

The home team led by as much as 29 (66-37) with 10:11 to play.

Senior wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) led four Johnnies in double figures with 15 points in a team-best 23:00 of play. Senior guard Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) was next with 14 points in 17:22 of action, while junior guard Kyle Johnson (Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle) added 13 points off the bench. Senior guard Blake Berg (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) was the fourth Johnnie in double digits with 11 points. 

SJU ended the game at an even 47 percent (31-for-66) and out-rebounded Mac 46-34, though offensive boards were a draw at 14-14.

TOP-TWO SEED CLINCHED: Wednesday's win locked up a top-two seed and first-round bye in the six-team MIAC Playoffs for the Johnnies, who will host an MIAC semifinal at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27. The appearance in the six-team MIAC Playoffs (est. 1984-85) is SJU's 31st overall and 13th consecutive.

ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON: The victory also gave SJU its 16th 20-win season in program history and sixth in nine seasons (not including the 2020-21 COVID season) under the direction of head coach Pat McKenzie '04. 

IN THE NCAA STATS: The Johnnies are currently (through games of Feb. 13) fourth in NCAA Division III in assist/turnover ratio (+1.66); sixth in in fewest turnovers per game (9.3), free-throw percentage (.785) and scoring margin (+16.0 ppg.); seventh in three-point defense (.276); eighth in shooting percentage (.489); 16th in three-point shooting (.383); and 18th in scoring defense (63.6 ppg.). Individually, senior guard Zach Longueville (Eagan, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) is 16th in assist/turnover ratio (2.74).

NOW NO. 2 ON THE SCORING LIST: The 15 points Wednesday enabled Thissen to pass both Troy Bigalke '01 (1,568) and Dick Matchinsky '57 (1,581) for second on SJU's all-time scoring list with 1,582. Frank Wachlarowicz '79 is the program's leader at 2,357.

NINE TREYS AWAY: Vaughn went 4-for-9 from behind the three-point arc Wednesday against Macalester and is now nine three-pointers from the program record of 266 owned by David Stokman '19. Vaughn is also 18th on the scoring list with 1,210 career points, seven behind Tom Grudnowski '72 in 17th (1,217).

NEW POLLS: SJU jumped three spots to No. 6 in Monday's (Feb. 10) D3hoops.com Top 25 poll and moved up to No. 15 in the second NCAA National Power Index (NPI) for Division III men's basketball. Three teams from NCAA's Region 9 were ranked in D3hoops.com's top 25: Wisconsin-Platteville (No. 3), SJU (No. 6) and Wisconsin-La Crosse (No. 9). Gustavus Adolphus – SJU's opponent this Saturday, Feb. 15, in St. Peter – received votes.

STAT COMPARISONS: The Johnnies currently lead the MIAC in six of the nine major statistical categories in conference play and are second – to the Gusties – in the other three.

Scoring Offense
1. GAC, 83.9 ppg. (80.4 overall)
2. SJU, 82.7 ppg. (79.6 overall)

Scoring Defense
1. GAC, 64.2 ppg. (67.1 overall)
2. SJU, 65.0 ppg. (63.6 overall)

Shooting Percentage – Offense
1. GAC, 52.2 percent (49.1 percent overall) * No. 7 in Division III
2. SJU, 52.0 percent (48.9 percent overall) *No. 8 in Division III

Shooting Percentage – Defense
1. SJU, 40.3 percent (39.1 percent overall)
4. GAC, 42.9 percent (42.9 percent overall)

Three-Point Percentage – Offense
1. SJU, 40.1 percent/118-294 (38.3 percent/199-520 overall) *No. 16 in Division III
2. GAC, 38.6 percent/123-319 (38.3 percent/197-515 overall) *No. 17 in Division III

Three-Point Percentage – Defense
1. SJU, 29.4 percent/80-272 (27.6 percent/123-446 overall) *No. 7 in Division III
5. GAC, 34.4 percent/96-279 (33.3 percent/168-505 overall)

Free-Throw Percentage
1. SJU, 76.0 percent/139-183 (78.5 percent/241-307 overall) *No. 6 in Division III
4. GAC, 71.0 percent/152-214 (68.7 percent/287-418 overall)

Rebounding
1. SJU, 38.3 rpg. (38.1 overall)
3. GAC, 36.6 rpg. (36.7 overall)

Fewest Turnovers
1. SJU, 9.5 tpg. (9.3 overall)
6. GAC, 10.4 tpg. (11.3 overall)

A LOOK AT THE GUSTIES: Gustavus Adolphus (20-3, 14-0 MIAC) moved its win streak to 11 games Wednesday night (Feb. 12) with an 83-55 win at St. Olaf. Four Gusties averaged over 10 points per game: senior (6-foot-5) forward Spencer Swanson (11.9), fifth-year (6-foot-6) post Wyatt Olson (11.0), sophomore (6-foot-1) guard Myles Barnette (11.0) and senior (6-foot-2) guard Brady Kienitz (10.2). Fifth-year (6-foot-3) guard Evan Wieker is right behind at 9.6 points per game. Swanson also leads the team in minutes (32.3 mpg.), rebounding (6.6 rpg.) and assists (64).

LAST SEASON: The Johnnies swept the regular-season series against the Gusties for the seventh-straight year in 2023-24.

at Saint John's 73, Gustavus Adolphus 70 (Jan. 15, 2024)
SJU overcame a seven-point deficit with 4:29 remaining in a 73-70 win over Gustavus last Jan. 15 (2024) in Sexton Arena. The Johnnies trailed by as much as nine (59-50) with 8:43 remaining but closed with a 15-5 run over the final 4:29, including a perfect 8-for-8 showing at the free-throw line. Senior post Luke Budzyn (St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge) started the comeback with a dunk and went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe on the next possession. Thissen made it a two-point game (65-63) at the 3:13 mark, but Dawson Kellen pushed the lead back to four for Gustavus with a driving layup. Unfortunately for the Gusties, Kellen's basket was the visitors' last made field goal of the night. GAC turned the ball over once, missed its final four shot attempts and went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line the rest of the way.

Thissen and Longueville led the Johnnies with 16 points apiece. All of Longueville's 16 points came in the second half, including a stretch of seven straight over a span of two minutes. He also collected four steals and three assists. Vaughn was the third Johnnie in double figures with 13 points. 

The Johnnies built a 16-8 lead at the 13:11 mark but proceeded to go 8:04 without a made field goal after as the Gusties gained their second lead of the contest. The lone points during the drought were two free throws from guard Brandon Adelman '24 at the 11:08 mark. GAC closed the half with four-straight points to take a 33-27 lead into the break.

The game featured NCAA Division III's top-two shooting teams at the time – first-place SJU (.509) and second-place GAC (.507) – though the Gusties bested the Johnnies' 42.4 percent (25-for-59) by shooting 48.3 percent (28-for-58). Both teams shot 14-for-30 (46.7 percent) in the second half. GAC posted a 39-27 advantage on the glass, but the Johnnies totaled 16 points off 17 Gustie turnovers.

Swanson led Gustavus with a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds, and committed five turnovers. Wyatt Olson followed with 20 points.

Saint John's 66, at Gustavus Adolphus 64 (Feb. 10, 2024)
The Johnnies overcame a season-high 21 turnovers by shooting 59.1 percent (26-for-44) from the field in a 66-64 win at Gustavus last Feb. 10 (2024).

A layup from senior post Connor Schwob (Waconia, Minn.) gave SJU a 61-55 lead with 5:42 remaining in the game, but the visitors scored only five points – all by Berg – the rest of the way. A traditional three-point play from Berg made it 64-58 with 2:10 on the clock but back-to-back baskets from GAC cut the lead to two. Berg and the Gusties' Olson exchanged buckets in the paint before the Johnnies' 21st turnover gave the home team the final possession of regulation with 6.4 seconds left. Adam Biewen's contested, three-point attempt hit the backboard and off the iron to seal the road win for SJU.

The Johnnies shot an impressive 73.7 percent (14-for-19) from the floor in the game's first 20 minutes but only took a 40-34 lead into the break thanks to a late three-pointer by GAC and 11 turnovers. SJU entered the game seventh in NCAA Division III in fewest turnovers per game at 9.5.

Berg led SJU with 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting, while Thissen followed with 14 points and five rebounds. Johnson was the third Johnnie in double figures with 10 points off the bench.

SJU outrebounded GAC, 24-22, and finished at 50 percent (5-for-10) from three-point range and 9-for-11 (81.8 percent) from the charity stripe in the victory. 

Swanson fell a rebound shy of a double-double with a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds for the Gusties. GAC finished at 40 percent (22-for-55) from the field, including a season-low 17.6 percent (3-for-17) from behind the three-point arc. The home team scored 19 points off the Johnnies' 21 turnovers, but SJU countered with 15 points off the 11 Gustie miscues.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 70-59 against Gustavus since the 1964-65 season, but just 26-35 in St. Peter. The Johnnies have won each of the last 15 meetings overall, including seven straight at Gus Young Court.