University of St. Thomas Athletics
20-1, 15-1MIAC
Macalester
5-16, 2-14MIAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas | 36 | 32 | 68 |
| Macalester | 19 | 29 | 48 |
Tommie Men's Basketball Game 23 Notes
2/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Next Up
No. 2-ranked St. Thomas (20-1 overall, 15-1 MIAC), riding a 16-game win streak, plays Saturday Feb. 14 at Concordia-Moorhead (3 p.m.).
The Tommies hold a two-game lead with four games left in the 20-game conference race.
UST will play its last three games at home, Feb. 16, 18 and 21.
UST scored a 68-48 win at Macalester on Monday to secure a first-round plyoff bye, take the program's 10th consecutive 20-win season, and claim another top-two MIAC finish.
Countdown
St. Thomas needs just two wins to become the third NCAA Division III men's program to reach 1,600 victories.
UST reached victory number 1,500 in the program's 104-year varsity history on Feb. 27, 2011 when it beat Gustavus 83-77 in the MIAC playoff championship game.
Coming into this season, only five D-III programs had surpassed 1,530 all-time victories -- Wittenberg (Ohio) (1,692), Wooster (Ohio) (1,627), St. Thomas (1,578), Illinois Wesleyan (1,575), and Hope (Mich.) (1,537).
Hot Streak
Over the last 10 weeks, St. Thomas is a combined 43-1-1 in the sports of men's basketball (16-0), women's basketball (16-0), and men's hockey (11-1-1).
That includes five victories over nationally-ranked teams over that span and a 19-0 record in January.
30 Point Club
When senior guard Marcus Alipate scored 30 points Jan. 19 in an 80-69 road win at Bethel, it marked the first 30-point game by a Tommie basketball player in seven seasons (214 games). Tyler Nicolai scored 32 as a freshman in a win at St. Olaf in December 2007.
Alipate became the first Tommie to surpass 25 points in the five-year era of the new Schoenecker Arena on Jan. 31 when he tallied 28 in a 90-75 defeat of Augsburg. He came back Feb. 4 in a win at St. Mary's and scored 21 points with a career-best seven treys.
Tauer Talk
Fourth-year head coach Johnny Tauer has guided the Toms to a 94-16 record (.835). Prior to taking over the program in May 2011, he was an 11-year assistant coach. He previously was a four-year player at UST from 1991-95.
He's just the third head coach for Tommie men's basketball since 1954.
The 42-year-old already has the rare distinction of competing in the Division III national semifinals as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He swept conference and West Region Coach of the Year awards in 2013.
Tauer is the latest St. Thomas head coach to guide a team to the MIAC team championship in his/her first season. He's UST's fifth rookie coach to win a crown in the last 11 years alone, joining John Tschida (2001 softball), Thanh Pham (2003 volleyball), Sara Evens (2005 women's golf) and Chris Olean (2010 baseball).
Busy, Busy
UST played nine January games over a 29-day span. They won all nine games of the hectic month.
Computer Love
The St. Thomas men's and women's basketball squads each received the No. 1 Division III national ranking last month in the Massey computer ratings.
Massey, which first started analyzing sports teams 20 years ago, ranks college basketball teams on victories, convincing wins, and strength of schedule.
100-Game Club
Tommie senior Conner Nord recently played his 100th career game. In 110 games to date, the Eden Prairie native has 984 points and 591 rebounds. Nord is attempting to become the 10th Tommie to eclipse 1,000 points and 600 rebounds.
The Tommies are 39-6 in games when Nord has scored in double figures during his career. He tied his career best with 21 points to lead a 74-69 win at Carleton.
Nord was selected for the 10-player USA Division III all-star team which competed in summer 2013 in Brazil.
Six in Double Figures
Five Tommies boast scoring averages in doible figures with a sixth just below at 9.5.
UST's balance is even more impressive when you note that the team doesn't operate with a Grinnell-like frenzy, or look to outscore teams 110-100. In fact, St. Thomas doesn't even rank in the top 85 in Division III scoring with its 76.1 ppg clip.
The Toms have another efficient squad averaging 8.8 turnovers, shooting 49 percent from the floor (44.7 percent from 3-point range), and converting 70.4 percent from the foul line. At least three different players are 3-point shooting threats, and UST can hurt opponents with rebounding and with its full-court press.
Tauer's balanced offense is led by six individuals who grew up within 30 miles of campus, including two Cretin-Derham Hall players, two Eden Prairie grads, one Bloomington native, plus a player from Lakeville:
- Sophomore guard Grant Shaeffer (Eden Prairie), 10.7 points a game;
- Senior center Conner Nord (Eden Prairie), 11.1 points;
- Senior guard Marcus Alipate (Bloomington Jefferson), 13.3 points.
- Junior guard Cortez Tillman (Cretin-Derham Hall), 10.1 points;
- Junior forward Ryan Saarela (Lakeville North), 9.5 points;
- Junior forward Taylor Montero (Cretin-Derham Hall), 11.9 points;
Rare Stat Line
UST committed just two turnovers -- none in the second half -- Dec. 20 on a 68-66 home win over No. 20-ranked UW-Stevens Point. The hard-fought game included a comeback from a 12-point first-half deficit; UST's 13-of-13 night at the foul line; and a potential game-winning Pointer shot in the final seven seconds that was rebounded by Ryan Saarela to secure the victory.
While school records for single-game turnovers have never been kept, the two-TO game is the lowest total by any MIAC team in at least 14 seasons.
In the last two seasons, just 25 men's games at all NCAA levels included a team with two or less turnovers for one game. UST is in good company on that list, as Wisconsin had just two turnovers twice last winter in its Final Four season.
UST has had two recent three-turnover performances: last February in a 15-point playoff win over Bethel; and five years ago this week in an 80-78 win at Division II Concordia-St. Paul, a game where the Toms also survived a late potential game-winning shot.
Point committed just four turnovers, making just six combined in the game, which is perhaps close to a record.
Quote
"I can't remember the last time two teams shot over 50% from the field, and from 3-point range, and over 80 percent from the line with fewer than five turnovers," said UST coach John Tauer. "It was one of the cleanest games I've ever seen. It also was one of the lowest possession games we have had. I think we had 45 (total) possessions, and both teams' offensive efficiencies were in the 1.5 (points per possession) neighborhood, which is unreal."
National Leaders
The Tommies are first in Division III in 3-point proficiency at .447 and first in fewest fouls per game.
Tillman leads the team in 3-point shooting at 53.8 percent (35-of-65), including 4-of-6 in the Dec. 20 victory over Point and 4-of-7 in a home comeback win over St. John's.
More D-III Top 16 Stats
The Tommies also rank in the Division III top 16 in these four caegories:
- assist-turnover ratio (2nd, 1.63-to-1);
- scoring margin (7th, plus 15.0)
- field-goal percentage (16th, 49.1);
- turnover margin (14th, plus 5).
Did You Know?
The Toms are 13-1 in games on his career when Tillman has scored in double figures.
Did You Know, II?
Out of 1,000-plus institutions that sponsor NCAA basketball programs, just three currently have both their men's and women's teams ranked in the top 10 nationally;
- Notre Dame
- Louisville
- St. Thomas
Johnnie Win, Part 1
Ryan Saarela's career-high trio of 20 points, 13 boards and four blocks led a 77-69 comeback road win over St. John's on Dec. 6. The Tommies' pivotal 52-26 rebounding edge included a 23-6 edge in offensive boards. That led to a 35-5 advantage in second-chance points and heped offset the absence of starter Taylor Montero (illness).
Coming off a three-point loss at Gustavus, UST trailed by three with 9:00 to play but averted a rare 0-2 start in conference play, a situation only one Tommie men's hoops team has faced since 1980.
Johnnie Win, Part 2
Tillman scored 20 off the bench and UST used a game-closing 16-6 run over the last 10:10 to score a 79-72 win before 1,610 fans at Schoenecker Arena on Jan. 24.
170 Club
St. Thomas men's basketball has recorded 177 victories over the last seven seasons (2008-current) -- the most in Division III and an average of 27 per season. The Toms' 177-24 won-loss record in that stretch includes a 132-15 record against conference opponents.
Did You Know?
The Toms recorded a rarity for any college basketball team on Dec. 6 when three different players – senior Conner Nord and juniors Ryan Saarela and Jimmy Remke – each posted a double double with double-digit individual totals in both scoring and rebounds.
It's uncertain if any MIAC men's team has ever had three players post double doubles in the same game. St. Thomas had two double-doubles on three occasions 10 years ago when Isaac Rosefelt and Mike Keating did it together.
Tradition
St. Thomas has made 15 NCAA tournament appearances, including trips in each of the last nine years. The Toms are 14-5 in NCAA playoffs over the last six seasons, including a 7-0 home record. The program's all-time NCAA playoff record is 23-15.
St. Thomas also took eight trips to Kansas City for the NAIA National Tournament from 1949-1974, with a 5-8 record.
Poll Talk
St. Thomas received a No. 13 preseason rank in the d3hoops.com poll and remain No. 2 in the latest poll, with five first-place votes.
Last October, they received eight of 11 first-place votes in the MIAC coaches' poll to rank first.
Streak Talk
Tommie men's basketball has won its last 45 games against MIAC opponents when it scores 70 or more points.
The Toms have captured 58 of their last 63 games against conference opponents.
Good Start
St. Thomas has a 22-point road exhibition victory at Division II Minnesota State Mankato, a 30-win team last season which returned two All-America players.
The victory was Tommie Men's Hoops' seventh (exhibition or regular season) in the last decade over a scholarship Division II opponent.
Comebacks
The Tommies have six comeback victories (seven or more points) in their 20-1 start:
- rallied from a 14-point deficit at Whitman (Wash.) to win 96-86;
- came back from eight points down to edge UW-River Falls, 70-69;
- trailed by 13 against UW-Eau Claire but won 78-74;
- were down by three with 9:00 to go at St. John's before posting a 77-69 victory.
- were down by 12 in the first half against UW-Stevens Point before posting a 68-66 victory;
- trailed by seven early against Carleton but eventually won 74-69.
Consistent
St. Thomas hasn't lost back-to-back MIAC regular-season games since 2005. The Toms have nine consecutive 20-win seasons, third most in Division III.
Trends
St. Thomas has won its last 55 games over the last four seasons when it shoots 50 percent or better from the field. UST is 104-2 in such games in the last seven seasons.
Montero Makes' Em
Sophomore Taylor Montero is shooting 40.6% on his career from 3-point range (95-of-226). He had career highs with 18 points and 13 rebounds last season in the MIAC playoff championship game loss to St. Olaf, and has had three 20-point games this season.
Montero was named MIAC Athlete of the Week in men's basketball on Nov. 24. A Brooklyn Park native and Cretin-Derham Hall graduate, he helped St. Thomas win twice in Washington state as he averaged 20 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He sank 10-of-10 free throws, shot 65 percent from the field, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range. In the Tommies' 96-86 win at Whitman, Montero scored nine points in a game-closing 51-27 run that erased a 13-point deficit.
Athletic Family
Junior guard Marcus Alipate scored 1,270 points in high school to move into No. 2 on the career scoring list at Bloomington Jefferson High School, just behind record holder and current NBA center Cole Aldridge.
In four college seasons, Alipate has converted nearly 46 percent from 3-point range (183-of-396) and 70.3 percent from the foul line. He has 917 points in 108 games. UST is 34-6 on his career in games when he's scored in double figures. He scored a career-high 30 points in the 80-69 road win at Bethel on Jan. 19.
Alipate comes from an athletic family. His mother was a gymnast and track and field athlete at Washington State. His dad Tuineau played in both the Canadian Football League and the National Football League. Two of Marcus' brothers are Division I football scholarship players. Marcus' family tree includes his second cousin 'Aho'eitu 'Unuaki'otonga Tuku'aho Tupou VI, who's better known as the King of Tonga, an island nation in the South Pacific.
See story:
http://www.stthomas.edu/news/relatively-famous/
Trophy Talk
St. Thomas has won an unprecedented nine consecutive solo or shared conference regular-season championships. The previous MIAC high was seven in a row set by Hamline from 1946-53. The Toms have won 41 total conference crowns: 29 regular-season, 12 playoff titles.
St. Thomas has reached the MIAC playoffs 27 times in the 30-year history of the format, and its all-time record in the event is 33-15, including a 30-7 on-campus record. UST has a league-best 12 playoff crowns, including titles in seven of the last nine years.
St. Thomas has secured the program's 13th top-two conference finishes in the last 14 seasons, and has a record streak of consecutive MIAC playoff berths now at 15.
Non-League Slate
Over the last five seasons, the Tommies are 31-7 against teams outside the MIAC.
Rare Air
The Tommies' 30 victories in 2012-13 tied for the most in program history, and they posted the second best season win percentage with a 30-2 mark. The record win clip was in 2008-09 with a 30-1 record with an NCAA quarterfinal loss). That squad and the Toms' 2010-11 NCAA title team (30-3) share the record for season victories.
Cretin Connection
St. Thomas has five coaches or players who are graduates of nearby Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul: head coach John Tauer; assistant coach Mike Keating; juniors Taylor Montero and Cortez Tillman; and freshman Michael Hannon.
Eagles Have Landed
St. Thomas has two Eden Prairie High Eagle alum in its current starting five – senior Conner Nord and sophomore point guard Grant Shaeffer. Eden Prairie natives on recent Tommie teams include Brady Ervin, who contributed to the 2011 NCAA title team, and Sam Eicher (Class of 2010).
Home Groove
UST's home victory streak peaked at 31 before a Feb. 22, 2014 defeat. That streak surpassed the previous Schoenecker Arena record of 20 wins in a row set in 1993-95 when John Tauer was an undergrad player. The men's hoops on-campus record win streak is 34 set between 1965 and 1968 in the old second-floor gym of the OSH facility.
The Tommies are 133-11 in home games over the last 12 seasons. They went 17-0 at home in 2012-13 and 10-2 at home in 2011-12. They are 58-5 in the new Schoenecker Arena in the five seasons since the AARC opened in August 2010.
UST also went 9-1 in home games in 2009-10 while playing off campus at Concordia-St. Paul during the AARC construction. St. Thomas previously went 62-5 at home in its last five seasons in the old Schoenecker Arena (2004-2009).
Over the last seven years, UST is 16-1 in postseason on-campus games.
Point of Pride
St. Thomas is the lone NCAA institution -- in D-I, II or III -- to win a team national championship in each of the sports of men's and women's basketball, softball, baseball and volleyball.
History
In 2012-13, St. Thomas became the first school in NCAA history (all divisions) to win both its first 14 football games and first 14 men's basketball games in the same school year.
In the Zone
Men's Basketball is one of eight UST sports to be ranked first, second or third nationally over the last 25 months. St. Thomas placed ninth out of 435 institutions in the 2013-14 Division III Directors' Cup all-sports race.
