ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College men's basketball team beat its second MIAC playoff hopeful in a row, as the Scots outlasted Saint John's University, 100-97 Monday night in the Leonard Center. The Scots, who earned a dramatic 64-61 triumph over St. Olaf on Saturday, improve to 9-14 overall and 5-13 in league play. The Johnnies, who are in fourth place in the conference, drop to 15-8, 11-7 MIAC.
The victory came in the final home game of the season, with seniors
Jordan Black-Mathews (Dallas, Texas/Covenant Christian),
Zach Gullerud (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley),
Kareem Ismail (Pasadena, Calif./Flintridge Prep) and
Dylan Kilgour (La Crescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley) playing their final career game in the Leonard Center.
With just under four minutes left in regulation, Macalester trailed 72-65 following a conventional three-point play by Brent Hentges. But the Scots did not surrender, as the hosts reeled off a 10-3 run that included a pair of three-pointers from Kilgour to tie the score at 75-75 with two minutes to play. Two free throws by Tyler Weiss were answered by a dunk from sophomore forward
Wyatt Ferm (Farmington, Minn./Farmington). Saint John's went to the line again, making both before sophomore guard
Michael Gutierrez (Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Prep Academy) hit a layup to knot the score again at 79-79. The Johnnies had one final chance in regulation, but David Stokman's shot was off the mark, sending the game to overtime.
Macalester seemed to take control of overtime early, using threes from Kilgour and Gutierrez to build an 89-81 advantage with 2:37 to play. Stokman converted a three-point play on the next possession, but Gutierrez answered with a basket for a 91-84 edge. Stokman did not let the Scots run away with it, draining back-to-back threes to make it a one-point game, 91-90 with 1:20 on the clock.
On the next possession, Gutierrez, the hero of Saturday's win with the game-winning three, made an acrobatic layup in traffic and was fouled. He hit the free throw to put Macalester ahead, 94-90. After Stokman made two free throws and Ismail scored on a layup, Stokman responded again with another three to make the score 94-93. The Scots led by two, 99-97 when the Johnnies went to the line with a chance to tie the score. But the first free throw was off the mark, and a lane violation gave the ball back to Macalester. Gutierrez made 1-of-2 from the line, and Hentges' three-point attempt did not drop, clinching the win for the Scots.
Macalester shot 63.0 percent from the field in the second half and was 6-of-7 from the field in overtime. Both teams shot well for the game, with the Scots shooting 56.5 percent compared to 54.2 percent for Saint John's. Ismail led the Scots with 28 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and two blocks while making 12-of-16 from the field. Gutierrez registered 26 points, six boards and five assists, while Kilgour hit four three-pointers en route to 18 points. Ferm made it four Scots in double figures with 17 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists. Stokman finished with five threes and 37 points.
Macalester continues MIAC play with a game at Augsburg College on Wednesday, Feb. 15, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Minneapolis, Minn.
