Graduate forward Parker Bjorklund’s 21 points and 12 rebounds gave the Tommies just enough to pull off a 54-53 victory over Idaho State on Friday, Nov. 10 at Schoenecker Arena.
The Tommies (1-1) held the Bengals (1-1) to just 53 points and their all-conference center, graduate Brayden Parker, to just eight points. Parker torched the Tommies for 28 points on 11-11 shooting in their matchup last season.
“I thought our guys were incredibly tough-minded against a guy that once he gets the ball, it’s really, really difficult to stop him,” coach Johnny Tauer said.
On the offensive side, the Tommies started the game off cold, shooting 1/7 from the field, until graduate guard Raheem Anthony snapped the field goal drought six minutes and 15 seconds15 into the game and brought the Tommies down 8-5. After Idaho State’s Brayden Parker immediately answered with a basket of his own, Bjorklund made himself known to the Bengals defense.
Bjorklund scored six straight points capped off by a thunderous dunk to give the Tommies a 11-10 lead with 11 minutes left in the first half.
“You’ve just got to take what they give us. If they switch, we punish them,” Bjorklund said.
The Tommies continued to battle down the stretch in a physical matchup with the Bengals. St. Thomas earned the bonus from Idaho State’s seventh foul with eight minutes left to play in the first half.
“Parker is one of the toughest, most competitive guys I’ve ever coached, and he’s fearless,” Tauer said. “He’s getting shots to the chest, to the esophagus, to the face, and he just keeps battling.”
Bjorklund wasn’t carrying the offensive load himself. Graduate guard Raheem Anthony put on a show with 19 points for the home crowd in his first-ever game at Schoenecker Arena. Anthony bookended a 13-3 run at the end of the first half with a no-look assist to junior guard Ryan Dufault and a fast-break dunk that gave St. Thomas a 27-26 lead heading into halftime.
“We’re going to be able to use him in a myriad of ways because he’s able to post up, he’s able to finish around the basket, he’s a really good and willing passer, and he’s just a great young man,” Tauer said.
The second half was a close contest, just like the first. Anthony and Bjorklund chipped in to extend the Tommies’ lead to 35-28 to start the half. The Tommies held on to their continually tightening lead until Idaho State junior forward Isaiah Griffin found his way into the paint for back-to-back layups to make the score 46-45 in favor of the Bengals.
The Bengals stretched the score to 53-49, and the Tommies found a break in an unlikely place. Despite the Tommies only shooting 61% from the free throw line, it all came down to the charity stripe to win the game.
Raheem and sophomore guard Kendall Blue made three free throws and were able to put the Tommies within one point. The Tommies inbounded from their own baseline and Bjorklund drew his ninth foul from the Bengals, sending him to the charity stripe.
“I’d give most of the credit to the coaching staff,” Bjorklund said. “The play they drew up there, I set a back screen, go for a V-cut, either it’s a layup or he’s grabbing me.”
Bjorklund connected on both free throws and was able to secure a win for the Tommies.
Over 1,600 fans were in attendance for Friday’s game, and coach Tauer hopes the trend continues. He said that the home crowds are a big part in growing the program.
“It’s easy to root for our guys, but part of it is creating an atmosphere where the students want to come out of the dorms and say what’s better to do on a night than cheer for Tommie basketball,” Tauer said.
Anthony had his first experience with the crowd at Schoenecker Arena and was glad to earn his first points as a Tommie in front of the St. Thomas community after going scoreless against Cal.
“Just a surreal moment for me,” Anthony said. “I remember being here four years ago and Schoenecker was packed just like it was before… coach Tauer always told me that there are better days ahead, and this is one of those better days.”
The Tommies will stay at home to take on the North Central Rams at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12 at Schoenecker Arena.
Adam Mueller can be reached at muel7541@stthomas.edu.