Box ScoreST. PAUL, Minn. – Hamline ended the game with a 19-2 run to dissolve an eight-point deficit and defeat Saint John's by a 74-65 score on Monday, Feb. 9, in St. Paul.
SJU (11-9, 9-6 MIAC) led by as much as 10 in the second half and by eight, 63-55, with 4:48 remaining. That is, until the wheels fell off as the visitors made only one of their final eight shots and turned the ball over three times to close out the game.
The Pipers (10-11, 7-9 MIAC), meanwhile, scored seven points off the three turnovers, made four of their last five shots (2-for-2 from three-point range) and went 9-for-10 at the free-throw line to earn the win. HU started the game at 68.3 percent from the charity stripe for the season and went 13 of 17 (76.5 percent) Monday night.
Junior guard
Alex Schmitt (Waconia, Minn.) hit a three-pointer at the horn, the Johnnies' first trey of the first half (1-for-6), to give the visitors a 37-33 halftime lead. The Johnnies entered the game as the MIAC's top three-point shooting team at 43.5 percent (104-for-239) in league play, but made only four of their 17 attempts from long distance (23.5 percent).
Junior guard
Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) led all scorers with 21 points and Schmitt followed with 17. Junior wing
Joe Risinger (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) added 14 points and senior post
Blake Maslonkowski (St. Joseph, Minn./St. Cloud Apollo) tallied three points, eight rebounds and three steals.
SJU out-rebounded the Pipers 35-30, 14-10 on the offensive glass, but scored only 11 second-chance points. The Johnnies finished at 34.6 (9-for-26) in the second and at 39.7 percent (23-for-58) for the game.
Freshman Zach Smith led HU with 16 points, including 13 in the second half, and SJU transfer Bennett Cooper added 13.
A longer bus ride awaits SJU for its 7 p.m. game at Saint Mary's on Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Winona.
