First-year guard Andrew Rohde’s 23 points weren’t enough to take down conference juggernaut Oral Roberts as St. Thomas fell short of the conference championship game, losing 70-65 Monday at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The No. 5 seed Tommies shot an uncommonly low 28% from beyond the arc in their postseason loss to the No. 1 seed Golden Eagles.
The Tommies didn’t score until the 17:47 mark when graduate forward Parker Bjorklund opened with a field goal for the Tommies. A pair of threes from Rohde and senior forward Brooks Allen started an 8-0 run for the Tommies and launched the Tommies to a 10-4 lead over the Golden Eagles.
St. Thomas continued to fight to maintain their lead behind the efforts of Bjorklund and Allen. However, with under eleven minutes left in the first half, Oral Roberts senior guard, and Summit League Player of the Year, Max Abmas tied the game at 19-19 with a pull-up 3-pointer. The Tommies kept up their pressure, and Allen immediately responded with a 3-pointer of his own.
The game continued to be dictated by runs, and St. Thomas went on another before Oral Roberts capped it at 7-0. The Golden Eagles’ defense switched on, smothering the Tommies and holding them scoreless for nearly four minutes. All the while, their offense kept up the pace, tying the game again at 29-29.
Rohde snatched back the lead but quickly lost it again when Oral Roberts junior forward Patrick Mwamba drained a 3-pointer. After a personal foul on Abmas, Rohde sank two free throws and gave the Tommies a close 33-32 lead entering halftime.
After Oral Roberts opened the half with a basket, St. Thomas took back control with a slam dunk from Bjorklund. A fastbreak layup by Rohde expanded the lead to 43-38 with 13:39 left in the game. However, Oral Roberts came storming back, grabbing the lead at 11:45 and continuing on with an 11-0 run.
The Golden Eagle’s run was finally snapped at 9:03 when Andrew Rohde made a 3-point jumpshot, the first Tommie score in well over four minutes. First-year forward Ahjany Lee brought the Tommies within one point, making it 48-49 with 8:22 left.
Oral Roberts piled on the points, giving them a 56-48 lead, which they held onto for the rest of the game. Saint Thomas continued to keep it close, but even two last-minute three-pointers from Rohde and Allen weren’t enough to complete the comeback.
St. Thomas ended its season in the Summit League semifinals, capping off a 19-14 season in which they shocked the conference by playing Oral Roberts close in all three matchups. Individually, Bjorklund earned All-Summit League honors, and Rohde was recognized for his impressive season by winning Summit League Freshman of the Year.
Adam Mueller can be reached at muel7541@stthomas.edu.