Notables
-Second straight game Newman scores over 20 points
-Bench Points: CSS-39, Finlandia-6
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica men's basketball team shot 61 percent from the floor in the second half and went 19-for-22 at the free throw line to defeat Finlandia University (Mich.) 90-79 Friday night in non-conference action at the Reif Gymnasium.
Finlandia Hot Early
Despite all of the Lake Effect snow in the U.P., the squad from Houghton, Michigan, came out on fire draining five of its first six shots, including three straight 3-pointers to take an 18-9 lead six minutes into the game.
Tempo Changer
Coach Staniger decided to change his defensive strategy and go with a full court press. That threw the Lions out of their rhythm and the Saints were able to get back in the game, going on a 14-2 run. A
Collin Anderson (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) 3-pointer gave CSS its first lead at 23-20 with eight minutes to go in the half.
A
Brandon Newman (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS) layup gave the Saints an eight-point lead with under four minutes to go, but Finlandia's Brandon Robinson single-handedly brought the Lions back, scoring 11 straight points as the Lions led 35-34 in the final minute. Newman would get a steal and layup to put the Saints in front at the half 36-35.
Stark's Streak in the Second
Joe Stark (Hayward, Wis./Hayward HS) got going early in the second half as he converted a three-point-play with the Lions within two. In the span of a little over three minutes, Stark poured in all 10 points he scored in the game and the Saints held a 12-point lead.
CSS Holds Off Finlandia Rally
A
Nate Weets (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS) layup gave the Saints their biggest lead of the game of 14 points with under 12 minutes to play. CSS still led by 12 with six minutes to go, but the Lions made a push, going on a 9-1 run to cut the score to 79-75 with 3:40 remaining.
However, the Lions would only make one field goal the rest of the way and Newman scored seven of St. Scholastica's final 11 points to give the Saints the 90-79 victory.
Top Performances for CSS
Newman led the Saints once again with 24 points, going 10-for-12 at the free throw line. Anderson had a season-high 14 points off the bench and
Julius Johnson (Minneapolis, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) added 10 points.
Zach Dahlman (Braham, Minn./Braham HS) had a team-high eight rebounds.
Top Performances for the Opponent
Brandon Robinson had a game-high 28 points, including 17 points in the first half. Marcus Geralds nearly had a triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Up Next
The Saints (3-4) will host Northland College in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action tomorrow at the Reif Gymnasium. Tip time is scheduled for 5 p.m. All of the action can be seen live on
Saints Sports Net.
