Notables
-Newman hits 1,000 career points
-DahlmanĀ records first career double-double.
-Fifth straight win for CSS
-CSS had 20 points off turnovers
MINNEAPOLIS (
csssaints.com) --- Despite playing with only eight players most of the game, the St. Scholastica men's basketball team used a strong second half to defeat North Central University (Minn.) by a score of 75-54 on Wednesday.
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First Half
The Saints were without the services of
Joe Stark (Hayward, Wis./Hayward HS),
Collin Anderson (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) and
Connor Gray (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) for tonight's game and the Rams (6-12, 3-7 UMAC) started quickly, earning a seven-point lead five minutes into the half with a score of 9-2. The Saints responded by going on a 16-9 run to tie the game at 20-20.
Sam Thompson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) drained three-pointers on back-to-back possessions and
Brandon Newman (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS) added another three-pointer as North Central would not recapture the lead.
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CSS headed into halftime with a four-point lead.
Dylan Zimmerman (Elmdale, Minn./Upsala HS) had 11 points in the opening 20 minutes
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Saints Start to Pull Ahead
CSS opened the second half with an eight-point run, earning a 12-point lead as the score stood at 45-33.
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The teams traded baskets until the seven minute mark, when the Saints went on a 12-point run to increase their lead to 23, their largest of the game. During that run,
Brandon Newman (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS) had four points, which put him over 1,000 for his career. He is the 11th player in program history record 1,000 points in a career. North Central cut the Saints' lead down to 19 after a pair of free throws and a layup, before
Nate Weets (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS) added a pair of free throws for CSS to increase its lead to 21.
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The Rams made a 3-pointer with just under a minute remaining, but
Spencer Viita (Cook, Minn./North Woods HS) added a 3-pointer for the Saints to make the final score 75-54.
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Top Performers for CSS
Dahlman led the Saints in scoring with 17, including 13 in the second half. He also grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Thompson had 14 points, Zimmerman finished with 13 and Newman recorded 10. Newman also had seven assists.
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Top Performers for the Opponent
Jared High put up 18 points for the Rams while Joel Cline put up 14 and AJ McGrew had 11.
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Up Next
The Saints (11-7, 7-3 UMAC) return to action on Saturday at the Reif where they will face off against the University of Minnesota Morris on Alumni Day. Action is slated to begin at 3 p.m.
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