Notables
-CSS shot a season-best 56 percent from the field, including 68 percent in the second half
-Johnson scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half
-Zimmerman recorded a career-high in scoring for the second straight game
-NWU entered the game as the sixth-highest scoring team in NCAA Division III
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica men's basketball team out-scored Nebraska Wesleyan University 53-38 in the second half to rally past the Prairie Wolves and snap a three-game losing skid with a 94-89 victory on Monday.
Prairie Wolves Lead the Entire First Half
Nebraska Wesleyan scored the first basket of the contest and grew the margin up to eight less than five minutes in. CSS responded with a 12-4 run to tie it at 15-15, but the Prairie Wolves were able to regain the lead and then maintain the advantage the rest of the half.
The Saints kept within striking distance as the margin did not get above double-figures until the final three minutes. NWU led by as much as 12 before going into the locker room with a 51-41 edge.
The Prairie Wolves shot 57 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes of play, making seven 3-pointers. The Saints shot 45 percent and were only 3-for-12 from the beyond the arc.
CSS Offense Gets Going after Large Deficit
Nebraska Wesleyan kept it going at the start of the second half, getting a layup on the opening possession and then forcing a turnover, which led to a dunk to make it 55-41 in the opening minute.
The St. Scholastica offense then started to get going, moving the ball and getting easy buckets in the paint. The Saints went on a 10-2 run with
Brandon Newman (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS)'s 3-pointer cutting the margin to 59-53 with 15 minutes left.
The Prairie Wolves extended their lead back to 10 moments later, but a 3-pointer by
Collin Anderson (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) and then a steal and layup by Anderson cut it back to five.
Saints Take First lead
With St. Scholastica trailing by three,
Joe Stark (Hayward, Wis./Hayward HS) drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 65-65 with 10:30 to go. It wouldn't be until a minute later when back-to-back buckets by
Kory Deadrick (Esko, Minn./Esko HS) gave the Saints their first lead of the game at 70-67.
The Saints opened up a five-point lead following a
Connor Gray (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) jumper, but the Prairie Wolves went on a 6-0 run to regain the lead at 82-81 with 3:30 to go.
Closing Minutes
Following a CSS timeout,
Dylan Zimmerman (Elmdale, Minn./Upsala HS) got a feed from
Julius Johnson (Minneapolis, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) to give the Saints the lead back at 83-82. Deadrick then drained a 3-pointer to give the Saints a four-point lead.
With CSS up by six with less than 30 seconds left, the Prairie Wolves hit a 3-pointer to make it a one possession game. However, following the basket, NWU would be assessed a technical foul and the Saints climbed the lead back to six because of it. St. Scholastica went on to win 94-89.
The Saints shot 68 percent from the floor in the second half and was 6-of-10 on 3-point attempts. The Prairie Wolves made only two 3-pointers in the second half.
Top Performances for CSS
Deadrick and Johnson each scored 18 points to lead the Saints. Johnson scored 14 of those 18 points in the second half. Deadrick also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Zimmerman had a career-high 16 points with Newman adding 12 points and a career-high eight assists.
Top Performances for the Opponent
Cooper Cook led all scorers with 22 points for the Prairie Wolves (7-3) and also snagged a team-high eight rebounds. Deion Wells-Ross added 20 points off the bench.
Up Next
The Saints (6-7) resume Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play on Saturday when they host Bridge Rival University of Wisconsin-Superior at the Reif Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. The action can be seen live on
Saints Sports Net.
