DULUTH, Minn. – Junior forward Ryan Brush (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue) made seven three-pointers as the Macalester College men's basketball team went on the road and beat the College of Saint Scholastica, 76-69 in a MIAC contest Saturday afternoon in Reif Gym. The win is the first conference victory of the season for the Scots, who are now 4-9 overall and 1-3 in league play. The Saints drop to 5-8 on the season and 1-3 in the MIAC.

The game was close early until Macalester used an 11-3 run to take a 26-15 lead midway through the first half. First year guard JP Kerrigan (Atherton, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep), sophomore guard Kaden Holdbrook (Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) and Brush all hit threes in the run. After St. Scholastica responded with an 11-2 run of its own to make it a two-point game, back-to-back threes by Brush sparked 13 straight points by the Scots for a 41-26 advantage. Koy Nelson scored for the Saints in the final minute of the half to make the halftime score 41-28 Macalester. Brush and Holdbrook each had nine points in the half, all on three-pointers, while junior forward Noah Shannon (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) tallied eight points.

Early in the second half, the Scots extended their lead to 15 after a three-pointer by junior guard Eric Wentz (Minot, N.D./Minot) made the score 51-36 with 14:55 remaining. Again St. Scholastica answered back with a pair of threes from Jaquez Overstreet and another by Moe Washington to pull to within six, 51-45 with 12:46 to play.

Brush stayed hot from deep, draining two three-pointers to help Macalester push its lead up to 13, 58-45. The Saints came within eight points three times, but the Scots had an answer for every St. Scholastica basket. Brush's seventh three of the game increased the lead back up to 15, 72-57 at the 3:11 mark. The Saints made a late push, closing out the game on a 12-4 run, but it was not enough to prevent Macalester from earning its first MIAC win of the season.

For the game, the Scots shot 46.9 percent from three-point range, tying a season high with 15 threes in 32 attempts. Brush was 7-of-12 from deep to finish with 21 points. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists. Holdbrook made four three-pointers and finished with 15 points and seven boards, while Shannon notched his fourth double-double of the year with 15 points and 10 rebounds, which helped the Scots hold a 48-33 advantage on the glass. Senior guard Tom Andreae (Newton, Mass./Newton North) delivered a team-best five assists. Washington paced the Saints with 18 points.

Next up for Macalester is a home game against MIAC foe Gustavus Adolphus on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the Leonard Center.