Notables
-Largest deficit overcome since February 2016 victory over UW-Superior (20 points)
-Anderson records third 30-point game of the season and had a career-high seven steals
-Bench Points: CSS-58, UMM-19
MORRIS, Minn. (
csssaints.com) –
Collin Anderson (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) scored 24 of his game-high 30 points in the second half as the St. Scholastica men's basketball team overcame a 19-point deficit to win 81-80 at the University of Minnesota Morris on Saturday in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action.
How It Happened
The Saints got off to a really slow start as the Cougars (4-9, 1-4 UMAC) jumped out to a 23-4 lead six minutes into the game. CSS didn't make its first field goal until a
Cade Goggleye (Nett Lake, Minn./North Woods HS) layup four-and-a-half minutes into the game. The start was reminiscent of the 2017 matchup between these two teams in Morris, in which, the Saints trailed 16-0 to start the game only to come back and tie the game by halftime and later win.
Anderson drained back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 25-12 with 11 minutes to go in the half. Morris led by 14 points with less than three minutes remaining until the Saints finished the half with the final 10 points to make it only a 40-36 halftime lead for the Cougars.
Chance Larson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Denfeld HS) and
Ander Arnold (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) had three-point-plays during the 10-0 run.
Quinn Fischer (Esko, Minn./Esko HS) led the Saints with 10 points, going 4-for-4 from the field in the half.
Morris scored the first five points of the second half before the Saints went on a 19-2 run over four minutes to take a 55-47 lead. Anderson had 10 points during the run and it was capped off by a
Jack Silgen (Crosby, Minn./Crosby-Ironton HS (St. Thomas)) dunk. A
Jarod Wilken (Annandale, Minn./Annandale HS) layup gave St. Scholastica a 63-51 lead with over 12 minutes remaining.
However, the Cougars would respond by outscoring the Saints 19-7 over the next five minutes to tie the game at 70-70 with less than seven minutes remaining. Anderson answered with back-to-back 3-pointers to give CSS a six-point lead.
Morris got within one with two minutes remaining, but Anderson made a layup to make it a three-point game. A Silgen bucket on the next possession extended the lead to 81-76. The Cougars then got a pair of layups to cut the lead to 81-80.
After the Saints missed the front end of a one-and-one in the final 12 seconds, the Cougars had a chance to win it as time expired, but the turn-around elbow jumper came up short and the Saints hung on for the 81-80 victory.
Top Performers
Anderson scored 12 of the team's final 16 points in the last 10 minutes of the game. He had a career-high seven steals, including six in the second half alone. He also led the team with five assists. Silgen led the team with 12 rebounds. Wilken had four blocked shots.
Up Next
The Saints (6-8, 4-2 UMAC) will have another UMAC road matchup on Wednesday when they take Highway 2 to face Northland College. Action is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
