SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College men's basketball team battled the Saint John's University Johnnies at home Wednesday night in a conference contest. The Gusties and Johnnies battled neck and neck until a late flurry of threes powered Gustavus to a 95-80 victory, improving to 7-1 overall and staying undefeated in the MIAC at 3-0.
The Gusties trailed Saint John's through the opening of the game as the Johnnies built up an eight-point lead up 16-8 with 11:50 to go in the first half. Gustavus started to rally and took their first lead of the night on a three-point shot by
Connor Beauchamp to go up 20-18. The two teams battled to a 33-33 tie with 2:51 to go in the first half. At that point, the Gusties outscored the Johnnies 11-6 down the stretch to take a 44-39 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Saint John's fought back to tie the game again at 53-53 with 14:33 to go. The two teams went on to trade baskets with neither team leading by more than three points until
Jake Schmitt hit a three to put Gustavus up by six, leading 74-68 with 7:59 remaining in the game.
The Gusties led by seven points up 81-74 with less than four minutes to go and then caught fire from three-point range, hitting four of five from beyond the arc down the final stretch to put the game out of reach. Schmitt hit the first to put Gustavus up 84-74,
Andrew Quam capitalized on a Johnnie turnover with another three to go up 87-74, and then
Myles Barnette stole the ball to put the ball back in the Gusties hands where Quam splashed another three to take a 90-74 lead.
Eli Wolff hit the final three with 1:16 to go to lift Gustavus to a 93-78 lead en route to their 95-80 victory.
Schmitt led the Gusties with 24 points, shooting 8-for-11 from the floor and 5-for-8 from three-point range. Barnette followed with 20 points and led Gustavus in assists with four and steals with five.
The Gusties shot 61.7 percent from the floor and 50 percent from beyond the arc in the win.
Up next for Gustavus is a road trip to Indianola, Iowa to take on the Simpson College Storm on Tuesday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m.
