Notables:
-Saints extend their winning streak to seven
-CSS has won six straight against UWS
-Five Saints players scored double digit points
-Bench Points: CSS-31, UWS-6
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) - Brandon Newman (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS)'s free throw with 0.3 seconds remaining gave the St. Scholastica men's basketball team an 80-79 victory over rival University of Wisconsin-Superior on Wednesday. This extends CSS' win streak to seven, it's longest since the 2008-09 season when they won 11 in a row.
The Final Minutes
The Saints led for the final 10 minutes of the first half and led by 14 early in the second half, but the Yellowjackets (5-16, 3-9 UMAC) slowly cut into the margin. With two minutes remaining a Vid Milenkovic jumper gave UWS the lead at 76-75. Two free throws from Nate Weets (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS) got the Saints back in the lead with 75 seconds left, then two more free throws from Weets put the Saints up by three. A desperation 3-pointer from UWS tied the score once again with 26 seconds remaining. With three tenths of a second left on the clock and the score still tied, Newman was fouled under the basket. To add to the tension, Newman missed the first free throw opportunity to keep the score tied at 79-79 with .3 seconds left and one free throw remaining. Newman hit the second shot from the line to take the lead and the suspenseful half expired with a happy ending for the Saints after the 'jackets couldn't get the buzzer-beater shot off in time. The game ended with a score of 80-79 for the Saints' sixth straight win over UWS and their seventh victory in a row this season.
Hot Shooting First Half
Dylan Zimmerman (Elmdale, Minn./Upsala HS) hit the first basket of the game to put two points on the board for the Saints. In the first three minutes, the score was tied three times as the teams battled to get ahead. The 'jackets took the lead on a fast break play and held it for six and a half minutes. The Saints only got behind by six before they worked themselves back up to the lead and beyond. Collin Anderson (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) had the go-ahead 3-pointer to make the score 22-21 with just over 10 minutes left in the half. From there, the Saints worked to expand the point deficit by outscoring UWS 30-15 to end the half with a score of 49-36.
Both teams shot over 64 percent from the floor in the half with the Saints at 65 percent and the Yellowjackets at 64 percent. CSS made eight 3-pointers in the half.
Notable Performances
Five Saints players had double-digit points: Newman and Anderson both with 15, Weets with 14, Sam Thompson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) with 11 and Zimmerman with 10. Zimmerman pulled in six rebounds, Newman had five, and Mitch Liebert (Rogers, Minn./Rogers HS) had four.
For the Yellowjackets, Vid Milenkovic led the offense with 21 points, followed by Colton Williams with 16. Williams had nine rebounds and Milenkovic had eight.
Up Next
The Saints (13-7, 9-3 UMAC) are on the court once again on Saturday when they take on Martin Luther College in one of four remaining Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) games this season for the Saints. The game is set to begin at 3 p.m. in the Reif Gym in Duluth.
