Notables-CSS had four players score in double figures-The Saints bench outscored the bench of UW-Superior by 19 points at 23-4-CSS has lost the last three matchups vs. the Yellowjackets with the last win coming back in December of 2011
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica men's basketball team fell to the Yellowjackets from University of Wisconsin-Superior Sunday afternoon in the annual border battle between the two squads by a final score of 83-79.
The Jackets jumped out to an early 7-0 lead right off the bat using sloppy play by the Saints to get two easy buckets in transition.
CSS would attempt to respond when
Jake Naslund (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS) drained a 3-pointer to make the score 10-5 with 17:45, but a 15-4 run for UW-Superior spanning nearly 10 minutes made the score 25-11 with 8:38 to go in the half.
The Yellowjackets twice stretched their lead out to 17 points late in the first half, but the Saints stayed vigilant and closed out the half on a 6-1 run in the last 1:22 to set the halftime deficit at 12 points at 41-19. That run was capped off by a
Mike Spoden (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids HS) buzzer beating layup assisted by
Eastan Marleau (Deer River, Minn./Deer River HS).
The second half started out quite well for the Saints. They managed to dwindle the deficit down to just eight points at 47-39 after Naslund sunk another 3-pointer with 16:03 to go in the game. However, like before UW-Superior responded with a scoring run of their own this time it was a 13-4 run setting the score at 60-43 with 12:51 to go in the game.
The largest lead of the night for UW-Superior came when Ty Ketz drained a 3-point shot to extend the lead to 19 at 69-50 with just over eight minutes remaining in the game. CSS would try to cut into the lead, but the 19-point margin was achieved a second time by the jackets after Johnquez Brooks sunk two free throws with 6:56 left to make the score 71-52.
After the second 19 point deficit was reached, CSS got hot going on an incredible 19-6 run cutting the margin to just six points at 77-71 with just 1:52 remaining. This scoring run was fueled by a variety of Saints players including 3-pointers by Naslund and
Marc Peterson (Esko, Minn./Esko HS). Naslund would contribute seven points in the roughly five minutes that it took to come back from the 19-point hole.
The Yellowjackets and the Saints would trade buckets for about a minute when, with 13 seconds to go
LaMonte Hall (Minneapolis, Minn./DeLaSalle HS (Saint Mary’s)) nailed a 3-point shot to make the score 81-76. Unfortunately for the Saints, UW-Superior would be able to ice the game at the free throw line and hold on to win by four points at 83-79.
Naslund led the way in scoring for the Saints with 19 points and four rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting.
Julius Johnson (Minneapolis, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) also had double figure scoring for CSS with 11 points, while
Andrew Laughlin (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Central HS) and Spoden each contributed 10.
CSS (0-2, 0-0 UMAC) will be in action again next weekend for the Buzz Levick Tip-off Tournament in Waverly, Iowa. Game one of that tournament will be played on Friday November, 21
st at 8 p.m. vs. Wartburg College. The Saints will go on to play either Crown College or rematch with UW-Superior that Saturday.
