WINONA, Minn. – Senior forward Wyatt Ferm (Farmington, Minn./Farmington) hit an 18-foot jump shot with 0.7 seconds on the clock to give the Macalester College men's basketball team a 75-74 victory over Saint Mary's University Saturday afternoon at Saint Mary's Gym. The dramatic win is the first in conference play this season for the Scots, who improve to 4-11 overall and 1-9 in the league. The Cardinals drop to 6-9, 2-8 MIAC.

Down 75-74 with time winding down, Ferm dribbled towards the lane and then stepped back a few feet behind the free throw line. His jumper hit nothing but net, capping off an outstanding performance for Ferm, who finished with 32 points. Saint Mary's had 0.7 seconds left for a desperation attempt, but the shot was off the mark, giving Macalester the victory.

Both teams shot the ball well in the first half, with Macalester making 56.7 percent of its shots from the field compared to 61.5 percent for Saint Mary's. Trailing 20-17 midway through the first half, the Scots used a 9-2 run on three-pointers from Ferm, sophomore center Jackson Henningfield (Lake Mary, Fla./Lyman) and sophomore guard Gabriel Ramos (Dorado, Puerto Rico/Tasis Dorado) to take a 26-22 lead at the 9:54 mark. Macalester led 37-33 with five minutes left in the half when the Cardinals went on a 12-4 run to regain the upper hand, 45-41 late in the half. A jumper by Ferm in the final minute before halftime made the score 45-43 SMU at the break.

After Saint Mary's pushed its lead to 49-45 four minutes into the second half, the Scots went on a 9-2 run to take a 54-51 edge with 13:19 remaining. Ferm had four points and senior guard Mike Babb (St. Louis, Mo./St. John Vianney) hit a three-pointer in the run. The Cardinals responded by scoring the next nine points in a 12-1 spree for a 63-55 advantage with 13:19 on the clock.

With Saint Mary's maintaining a 75-62 lead with 3:50 left, back-to-back threes by Henningfield and Babb brought Macalester to within one, 72-71 with 2:51 remaining. After forcing a Cardinals turnover, Ferm hit a turnaround jumper to give the Scots the lead, 73-72. Caden Freetly answered for SMU with a jumper that gave the hosts a 74-73 edge heading into the final minute of play. Macalester turned the ball over on its next two possessions, but the Cardinals missed the front end of a one-and-one with 15.2 seconds left, setting up Ferm's heroics.

The Scots held SMU to 44.0 percent shooting in the second half while outrebounding the Cardinals, 33-25 for the game.

Ferm was 11-of-18 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. Babb was clutch, making all four of his shots from three-point range en route to a career-high 12 points. Henningfield finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Ramos contributed nine points, four rebounds and three assists. Kevin Gleason led Saint Mary's with 22 points.

Macalester continues MIAC play with a game at Gustavus Adolphus on Wednesday, Jan. 16. The opening tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in St. Peter, Minn.