Box Score HANCOCK, Mich. (csssaints.com) – For the third time this season, the St. Scholastica men's basketball team defeated Finlandia University (Mich.) on Saturday, winning 74-71.

The Saints fell behind 4-0 early, but responded with a 9-1 run with five points scored by Jake Naslund (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS). Naslund scored 10 points in the first half. After the lead traded hands a couple of times, Finlandia held a 14-13 advantage.

CSS then scored seven of the next eight points to regain the lead at 20-14. The Saints held the lead the rest of the half, but the margin would not grow over six points as the halftime score was 30-26.

The Saints shot 39 percent from the floor in the first half. The Lions were held to 29 percent.

The start of the second half saw the Lions use a 6-0 run to tie the game at 32-32. The Saints responded with a 7-0 run with 13 minutes to go. The margin got as high as nine with less than six minutes to go.

Finlandia then went on a 12-4 run to cut the lead to 63-62 with three minutes to go. Trevor Morlock (Rogers, Minn./Rogers HS (Minn., Crookston)) would score the next five points for the Saints on both sides of a Finlandia 3-pointer. After a pair of LaMonte Hall (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle HS (Saint Mary’s)) free throws extended the lead back to five, the Lions hit another three to make it 70-68 with a minute to play.

Garret Pearson (Rush City, Minn./Rush City HS) then hit a key jumper for the Saints on the ensuing possession to make it 72-68. After another Lion 3-pointer made it 72-71, Naslund hit a pair of free throws to make it 74-71. Finlandia would get two looks at a game-tying 3-pointer, but none fell as the Saints prevailed 74-71.

Both teams shot better in the second half with the Saints at 48 percent and Finlandia at 52 percent. The CSS bench out-scored the Lions bench 33-0. The Saints made a season-high 18 free throws on 25 attempts.

Morlock scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. He also grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Naslund finished with 12 points and Hall added 11 points. Brandon Robinson had 35 points to lead the Lions (2-15).

The Saints (3-8) open Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play Tuesday, January 14th at home against Northland College. Tip time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. All of the action can be seen live on Saints Sports Net.