STORM LAKE, Iowa - The St. Scholastica Saints went on the road Friday night and delivered a complete team performance, knocking off Buena Vista 73-66 inside Siebens Fieldhouse. With the victory, the Saints move to 2-0 on the season.
St. Scholastica controlled the game from the opening tip, jumping out to a 32-26 halftime lead behind efficient scoring in the paint and active hands on defense. The Saints racked up 28 first-half points in the lane and forced six turnovers before the break.
The second half saw the offense find another gear, pouring in 41 points while answering every Buena Vista push. The Saints shot an impressive 16-of-25 in the final 20 minutes, including six made three pointers.
Davion Butler (South Phoenix, AZ/) led the way with 18 points, knocking down three triples and adding four steals to ignite the Saints' transition game.
Koy Nelson (Port Wing, WI/South Shore HS) followed with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed five rebounds, consistently breaking down the defense off the dribble.
Tanner Thomson (Woodbury, MN/Stillwater HS) provided a major spark with 12 points - including two timely threes - while
Aaron Keykal (Princeton, MN/Princeton HS) anchored the front court with a double digit rebounding performance. Keykal had a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points.
St. Scholastica dominated inside all night, outscoring Buena Vista 46-20 in the paint and turning defense into offense with 12 points off turnovers. The Saints also received 20 points from the bench, led by
Jayden Brown's (Grantsburg, WI/Grantsburg HS) eight points.
Buena Vista hung around behind a hot shooting night from deep, but every time the Beavers threatened, the Saints responded with poised possessions and key defensive stops.
St. Scholastica returns to action tomorrow inside Siebens Fieldhouse for day two of the Buena Vista Classic. They take on Nebraska Wesleyan at 2:00 PM.
