Box Score

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's basketball held on for a 65-63 win over Hamline on Wednesday, Feb. 15, in Sexton Arena.

With the win and Carleton's victory at St. Olaf tonight, SJU (16-8, 12-7 MIAC) locked up the No. 4 seed and a home MIAC playoff game at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, in Collegeville. The Knights are currently one game ahead of the Johnnies in the MIAC standings but own the head-to-head tie-breaker (combined results against teams above those tied) due to their win over St. Thomas Monday (Feb. 13) night.



The Johnnies shot 56.5 percent (13-for-23) and held the Pipers (13-11, 10-9 MIAC) to a dismal 22.6 percent (7-for-31), including a 0-for-9 showing from three-point range, to take a 33-18 lead into halftime.

The percentages flipped, however, in the second half as HU clawed back to within two (62-60) with 24 seconds remaining. Junior guard Patrick Strom (Fargo, N.D./Shanley) made one of his two free throws before Isaac Brooks cut it to one, 63-62, with a layup on the other end with four seconds remaining. The visitors fouled Strom on the inbounds play and this time, he made both free throws. 

Junior wing John Oliver (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic) fouled Dylan See-Rockers on the ensuing inbounds play to record his fifth foul of the game. See-Rockers made the first and missed the second, and freshman wing Jubie Alade (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) grabbed the rebound to seal the win for SJU.

Strom fell one rebound shy of his first career double-double to lead four Johnnies in double figures with 19 points and nine rebounds. 

Alade, junior guard Garrett Goetz (Rosemount, Minn.) and junior post Tyler Weiss (Shakopee, Minn.) added 10 points apiece. Oliver finished with eight points and seven boards.

Isaac Brooks, a 53-percent shooter, led HU with 15 points on a 5-for-15 performance from the field. The Pipers shot 51.9 percent (14-for-27) from the floor, to the Johnnies' 37.9 percent (11-for-29), and made six of their 11 three-point attempts in the second half.

Rebounds were dead even at 36-36, though the Pipers recorded scoring advantages in both second-chance points (11-0) and points off turnovers (16-7).

The Johnnies are now 82-27 against the Pipers since the 1964-65 season, including a 45-9 record in Collegeville. SJU has now won 12 of the last 13 meetings in Sexton Arena and each of the last 11.

SJU ends its regular-season schedule with a 3 p.m. game at Saint Mary's (6-17, 4-15 MIAC) on Saturday, Feb. 18, in Winona.