University of St. Thomas Athletics
22-2, 17-2MIAC
St. Olaf
17-8, 14-6MIAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas | 33 | 45 | 78 |
| St. Olaf | 27 | 45 | 72 |
Montero hits milestone in Northfield win
2/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Senior forward Taylor Montero scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half and became the 34th Tommie in program history to surpass 1,000 career points as No. 7-ranked St. Thomas held off second-place St. Olaf 78-72 in Wednesday's MIAC men's basketball clash in Northfield.
The Tommies (22-2 overall, 17-2 MIAC) had already clinched the conference crown and top seed for the six-team Feb. 24-28 playoffs and learned earlier in the day it remains ranked first in the West Region in the NCAA poll.
Coach John Tauer's team improved to 14-1 this season away from home (12-1 on road), thanks in part to its making 8-of-8 at the foul line in the final 2:06.
The Toms led 33-27 at halftime and built the cushion to 12 early in the second half. The Oles pulled within 74-70 on Riley Aiekens' trey with 19 seconds to go, but Cortez Tillman and Ryan Saarela each knocked down two free throws in the final 17 seconds.
Montero added seven rebounds and four assists and now has 1,009 points. Tillman scored 16 points, Grant Shaeffer had 15 points, and Saarela contributed 14 points and seven boards.
Ben Figini and Justin Pahl each scored 19 points for St. Olaf, which closed the regular season in second place. The Oles secured the No. 2 seed for the MAC playoffs.
St. Thomas is home Saturday to face St. Mary's (1 p.m.) for Senior Day. The Toms also will play a conference semifinal playoff game Friday Feb. 26, also at Schoenecker Arena.
