Notables
-Third UMAC Tournament Championship appearance in four seasons
-Winningest Senior Class in program history
-Sixth straight postseason meeting between the two programs; three decided in at least one overtime
-UNW extends winning streak to 15
ST. PAUL (
csssaints.com) – It was another overtime classic at the Ericksen Center Saturday night for the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament championship and unfortunately for the St. Scholastica men's basketball team, it could not re-write the script from past years as the University of Northwestern (Minn.) defeated the Saints 92-89.
How it Happened
The Eagles (21-6) scored the first four points, but the Saints responded with five consecutive points. Northwestern went on a 10-0 run to take an 11-point lead midway through the first half. However, CSS got back in it and took a 36-34 lead with two minutes to go before halftime. Northwestern drained a 3-pointer at the end of the first half to take a 42-38 lead into the locker room. The Eagles out-scored the Saints 8-0 in second-chance points in the half.
St. Scholastica opened the second half with a 6-0 run to re-gain the lead. A
Quinn Fischer (Esko, Minn./Esko HS) layup gave the Saints a 50-46 lead with 16 minutes remaining. From that point on, neither team would lead by more than six points the rest of the way.
A 3-pointer by the Eagles gave them a five-point lead with two minutes remaining in regulation. Fischer would get an offensive put back on the ensuing possession to cut it to three. After a defensive stop,
Collin Anderson (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 76-76 with 52 seconds remaining.
Northwestern converted a layup on their next possession to take a two-point lead and
Brandon Newman (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS) made 1-of-2 free throws to make it 78-77 with less than 20 seconds remaining.
The Eagles made 1-of-2 free throws on the opposite end setting up the Saints to go for the win on the last possession. They would do just that as Anderson's 3-point attempt would rim out, but
Jarod Wilken (Annandale, Minn./Annandale HS) grabbed the offensive rebound and put back with a second remaining to tie the game and send it to overtime tied at 79-79.
In overtime, the Eagles scored on the opening possession and would never relinquish the lead. Northwestern led by six with less than 30 seconds remaining, but the Saints kept on clawing. Wilken drained a 3-pointer to cut it to three. After one made free throw for Northwestern, Wilken drained another 3-pointer to make it a one-point game with less than three seconds remaining.
The Eagles made both free throws and the desperation attempt from the Saints would be off as the Eagles hung on to win 92-89.
Free throws were a factor in the outcome as Northwestern was 17-of-21 from the foul line, while the Saints were just 12-of-20, including 3-of-9 in the second half and overtime.
Top Performers for CSS
Wilken led the Saints with 26 points and also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.
Nate Weets (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS) and Newman each finished with 15 points playing in their final collegiate games. Anderson finished with 10 points.
Top Performers for UNW
Brady Peterson led the Eagles off the bench with a game-high 33 points. He also grabbed 11 rebounds. Peterson went 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
End of Season
The Saints end with an overall record of 16-11 and went 11-5 in conference play. It marked the fourth straight year they recorded at least 15 wins, a first in program history and the third UMAC Tournament championship game in four seasons. The senior class of
Connor Gray (Superior, Wis./Superior HS),
Mitch Liebert (Rogers, Minn./Rogers HS),
Brandon Newman (Barnum, Minn./Barnum HS),
Sam Thompson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) and
Nate Weets (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS) is the winningest in program history with 68 wins and a .642 winning percentage.
For future information on the St. Scholastica men's basketball program; keep checking csssaints.com.
