Box Score ST. PAUL (csssaints.com) – The men's basketball game between St. Scholastica and Northwestern College proved to be a good choice for the UMAC Game of the Week as the Eagles were able to hang on in the final moments to defeat the Saints 70-68.
Midway through the first half, the Saints used a 9-2 run to open up a 21-12 lead. CSS led by as much as 11 with under six minutes to play in the first half. The Eagles were able to chip away at the lead and trailed only 36-33 at halftime.
Trevor Morlock (Rogers, Minn./Rogers HS (Minn., Crookston)) and
Derek Steve (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Apollo HS) each had eight points for the Saints in the half. CSS shot 48 percent from the floor, while the Eagles were 41 percent.
Northwestern (12-5, 5-1 UMAC) came out hot in the second half, using a 13-2 run to take a 46-38 lead. The Eagles led by as much as 10 midway through the half, until the Saints started to get back in. CSS eventually took a 68-67 lead following a
Jonah Dahlman (Braham, Minn./Braham HS) layup with two minutes to go.
After the Eagles made one of two free throws to tie it up, Dahlman would be stripped on a layup attempt on the ensuing possession and Northwestern's Wade Chitwood would drain a jumper to put the Eagles in front 70-68 with 1:23 left.
After two missed free throws by the Saints that would have tied it, the Eagles turned it over giving the Saints one last possession to tie it or win it. CSS would go for the win following a timeout, but the shot would be off and the tip back also off the mark as the Eagles hung on 70-68.
The Saints shot 44 percent from the floor for the game, while the Eagles were 52 percent in the second half to finish at 46 percent. Both teams struggled from the free throw line with neither making over 62 percent.
Steve led the Saints with 14 points.
Brett Tester (Andover, Minn./Andover HS) added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Dahlman had 10 points and seven rebounds. Lance Westberg led the Eagles with 15 points.
The Saints (5-12, 3-3 UMAC) will head over to Minneapolis tomorrow for a game against North Central University. That game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
