Box Score
DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica men’s basketball team, led by
Brett Tester’s (
Fr.- Andover, Minn.) 18 points, defeated Northland College 68-63 at Reif Gym at the Burns Wellness Commons.
St. Scholastica improves to 7-12 overall and 4-4 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). Northland drops to 4-15 (2-6 UMAC).
A steady defensive showing by both teams kept the first half low-scoring, as the Saints and LumberJacks played to four lead changes and four ties. Tester had a hot hand in the early going, scoring six of CSS’ first 10 points. With a 10-6 CSS lead, Northland went on an 8-0 run to take a 14-10 lead, its largest of the half.
Derek Anderson (
Jr.- Cook, Minn.) countered with a 3-pointer, and he also scored the next two baskets to put the Saints ahead at 17-16. CSS failed to lose the lead the rest of the half, and got the lead to six- the largest of the half- after another Anderson basket, to make it 25-19. CSS led at the break 29-24.
Northland didn’t go away in the second half, and took the lead at the 15-minute mark, 34-32. The two teams went back-and-forth throughout the half, and with clutch Tester shooting, as well as a pair of timely 3-pointers from
Chris Hamers (Jr.- Onamia, Minn.) the Saints were able to counter any LumberJack threat. CSS took the lead for good when Hamers hit a 10-foot jumper to take a 52-51 lead at the 4:21 mark. Northland battled to keep the game tight, and kept the Saints’ margin in single digits the last four minutes. Free throws from
Danny Schmitz (
Jr.- Hinckley, Minn./Hinckley Finlayson) and Hamers with less than a minute to go kept the ’Jacks at bay, and CSS prevailed 68-63.
Four Saints recorded double figures, led by Tester’s 18, and Hamers’ 12. Anderson had 11, and Schmitz rounded it out at 10. Northland’s Ryan Cannata led all scorers with 20.
The Saints will be on the road next weekend when it travels to face the University of Minnesota-Morris on Friday night and Presentation College on Saturday. The Morris contest on Friday is scheduled to begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. following the women’s game.