COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The Macalester College men's basketball team trailed by 24 after the first half and never recovered in an 80-63 loss at sixth-ranked Saint John's Wednesday evening at Sexton Arena. The Scots are now 7-15 overall and 4-9 in conference play, while the Johnnies (20-2) remain unbeaten in the MIAC with a 13-0 record.

The first half was all Saint John's, as the Johnnies opened up with a 21-6 run. The lead grew to as many as 26 before a pair of free throws by first year guard Logan Davis (Kensington, Md./Bethesda Chevy Chase) made the halftime score 45-21. Saint John's shot 47.1 percent from the field and outscored Macalester 26-8 in the paint in the first half.

After shooting just 8-of-34 from the field in the first half, the Scots played much better in the second half, making 46.4 percent (13-of-28) of their shots from the field after halftime. The final score marked the closest margin since the first half, with Macalester closing with a 12-3 run over the final 5:17 of the game.

First year guard JP Kerrigan (Atherton, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep) scored 14 of his team-leading 17 points in the second half, shooting 7-of-11 from the field after the break. Kerrigan was one of four Scots to score in double-figures, with junior forward Noah Shannon (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) registering 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals, and Davis and junior guard Eric Wentz (Minot, N.D./Minot) adding 11 points each. Davis, who also had two blocks, set a new career high with 11 points, including three three-pointers. Senior forward Armando Akapo-Nwagbo (Owerri, Nigeria/Pomona) grabbed a season-best 11 boards to lead the Scots on the glass. Ryan Thissen paced the Johnnies with 15 points.

Macalester returns home to host St. Olaf in another MIAC battle on Saturday, Feb. 15. The Scots will honor their seniors before the game, which starts at 3:00 p.m. in the Leonard Center.