After winning the tip-off and leading for the majority of the first half, the St. Thomas men’s basketball team fell to longtime rival Saint John’s in a devastating 80-78 loss Thursday night at Schoenecker Arena.
The Tommies (15-7 overall, 15-5 MIAC) missed a series of shots at the end of the first half allowing the Johnnies (19-8 overall, 13-7 MIAC) to start the second half with a 43-39 lead, giving them a momentum that would eventually lead to victory.
Despite falling to the Johnnies, the Tommies were able to regain momentum in the second half engaging in a back-and-forth battle following a 3-point shot by forward Tommy Anderson, which tied the game 63-63.
Although forward and No. 2-scorer Ryan Boll was sick and unable to play, head coach John Tauer was impressed with the fill in performances by the players off the bench.
“(They) filled in really admirably,” Tauer said. “We tried to piece that together and obviously it’s not what you draw up … I thought our young guys played well, but our veterans were great stabilizing forces.”
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The game stayed tied until 2.3 seconds remained, when Johnnie guard Garrett Goetz scored a shot that cemented their victory.
For guard Michael Hannon, who finished the game as the top scorer with 22 points, the loss was heartbreaking.
“It hurts like hell to not come out on top,” Hannon said. “We battled, and I’m proud of all these guys.”
As a senior, guard Grant Schaeffer hopes that tonight’s loss won’t put an end to his St. Thomas basketball career.
“I hope this isn’t the end,” Shaeffer said. “But if it is, I’m proud.”
The national tournament will announce its pairings Monday morning, which will decide the fate of the Tommies’ 2016-2017 season.
Benton Johnson can be reached at bcjohnson@stthomas.edu