University of St. Thomas Athletics
23-2, 18-2MIAC
Saint Mary's
9-16, 7-13MIAC
Sat. Wrap: M-W Hoops, Hockey enjoy 4-0 day
2/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Junior guard Grant Shaeffer made all five field goals and all five of his free throws for a game-high 15 points and No. 7-ranked St. Thomas closed out an 18-2 run in the conference with Saturday's 77-48 defeat of visiting St. Mary's in MIAC men's basketball at Schoenecker Arena.
The Tommies (23-2 overall, 18-2 MIAC) had already secured the top seed for the six-team conference playoffs and won by four games over second-place St. Olaf. UST celebrated Senior Day for six seniors who now have won 99 games in their four-year era.
Junior guard Grant Shaeffer made all five field goals and all five of his free throws for a game-high 15 points and No. 7-ranked St. Thomas closed out an 18-2 run in the conference with Saturday's 77-48 defeat of visiting St. Mary's.
The Tommies (23-2 overall, 18-2 MIAC) had already secured the top seed for the six-team conference playoffs and won by four games over second-place St. Olaf.
Senior Jimmy Remke had 14 points and seven rebounds, and senior Ryan Saarela added 11 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.
UST used a 19-4 run to close the first half with a 47-27 lead, and UST shot 61 percent in the first 20:00. UST had only seven turnovers on the game.
Kevin Gleason scored 10 points for the Cardinals (9-16, 7-13).
Top-seeded St. Thomas will host a semifinal playoff game Friday night against either the Nos. 4-5-6 seeds Bethel, Concordia or Augsburg
Women's Hockey
St. Thomas topped St. Olaf 4-1 in Saturday's MIAC women's hockey game in Northfield. UST secured a tie for the MIAC crown with Bethel. The Royals swept Concordia this weekend with two shutouts.
St. Thomas won a tie-breaker and will be the top seed for the five-team MIAC playoffs. They will play the No. 4-5 winner (St. Mary's or Concordia) on Saturday Feb. 27 at 2 p.m.
UST scored twice late in period two after the Oles had forged a 1-1 tie. Kaylee Druk had two goals.
Women's Basketball
The No. 8-ranked Tommies raced to a 17-4 lead and went on to make 11 treys in Saturday's 89-65 MIAC women's basketball win over second-place St. Mary's at Schoenecker Arena.
Junior center Kaitlin Langer had a career-high 28 points to go with 13 rebounds for the Tommies (22-3 overall, 16-2 MIAC), who have won 12 in a row and locked up the solo MIAC title.
St. Thomas broke a school record for 3-point baskets in a season with 192 through 25 games.
Katie Stone scored 16 points, Maddie Wolkow scored 13 points, and Paige Gernes had 10 points for the Tommies, who had only 12 turnovers, made 18-of-21 free throws, and shot 47 percent from the floor.
Brandi Blattner had 15 points and seven boards to lead St. Mary's (20-5, 14-4).
The top-seed Toms will play either the No. 4-5-6 seeds Concordia, Bethel or St. Ben's at home in Thursday's semifinals.
Men's Tennis
St. Thomas had an upset win at first doubles but lost 8-1 at MIAC favorite Gustavus on Saturday.
ST. Thomas' Luke Elifson and Scott Wall scored a 9-7 win over the GAC 11th-ranked team of Mohaned Al Houni and Andre Saenz.
Gustavus def. UST Men 8-1
Doubles:
#1.) Luke Elifson & Scott Wall (UST) def. Mohaned Al Houni & Andre Saenz (GAC) 9-7
#2.) Zack Eckstein & Tommy Entwistle (GAC) def. Burke Anderson & Brady Radermacher (UST) 8-1
#3.) Mitch Elofson & David Hagberg (GAC) def. Allen-Michael Muench & Ben Wait (UST) 8-7
Singles:
#1.) Mohaned Al Houni (GAC) def. Luke Elifson (UST) 6-2, 6-2
#2.) Andre Saenz (GAC) def. Brady Radermacher (UST) 6-2, 6-2
#3.) Zack Eckstein (GAC) def. Burke Anderson (UST) 6-1, 6-0
#4.) Mitch Elofson (GAC) def. Scott Wall (UST) 6-1, 7-5
#5.) Tommy Entwistle (GAC) def. Allen-Michael Muench (UST) 7-6(5), 6-4
#6.) David Hagberg (GAC) def. Ben Wait (UST) 6-2, 6-4
Women's Track and Field
Senior All-America Emily Gapinski had another top-10 national performance, the latest on Saturday at the U of M Gopher Parents Day indoor track and field meet. Gapinski won the mile in a field of 47 runners and broke Taylor Berg's 2013 indoor school record.
Gapinski clocked 4:53.46, the second fastest time this season in Division III.
Allison Mellin won the weight throw (50-0 3-4) to move into No. 1 atop the MIAC season list.
Alex Fossum ran 10:26 in the 3,000 for No. 3 on the conference list.
Other top-7 finishers included:
- Megan Maki took sixth in the 60 dash (8.15) and seventh in the 200 (26.87);
- Summer Ellefson placed fourth in the 600 (1:38.37);
- Aimee Junget (2:16.61) and Kayla Janto (2:18.71) placed 4-6 in the 800;
- Victoria Simones (3:09.74) took fourth in the 1000;
- Bailey Cook (9.38) and Laura Eischens (9.62) placed 4-6 in the 60 hurdles;
- Cook tied for seventh in the high jump (5-1 1-4);
- Kendall Novak took third in the pole vault (10-0 3-4);
- Libby Lange took sixth in the shot out (37-8);
- Elizabeth Russell took seventh in the triple jump (32-11 1-4).
Men's Hockey
Willie Faust scored two empty-net goals as St. Thomas scored a 6-2 win over St. Olaf for a sweep of their weekend series. The Toms edged St. John's by one point for second place -- the Tommies' 50th all-time top-two finish in MIAC men's hockey.
St. Thomas, 5-1-3 in its last nine games, will play host to St. John's -- 7-0-2 in its last nine games -- next Saturday night Feb. 27 night in a conference playoff semifinal.
Men's Track and Field
Tommie Men's Track and Field won nine events and had seven runner-up places Saturday at the St. Olaf Invite.
Brian Jarvey ran 49.31 to win the 400, the MIAC's fastest time this season. Ryan Queenan (51.01) and Ben Gifford (51.78) placed 2-3.
Anthony Ekholm swept the 60 (7.09) and 200 (22.71) dashes.
Other winners included:
- Michael Witschen in the long jump (22-2 1-2);
- Evan Cross in the triple jump (43-1);
- Nick Hasler in the 60 hurdles (8.91);
- Tyler Krpan in the 1000 (2:33.21);
- Craig Murtha in the weight throw (48-11 3-4);
- Evan Keil in the pole vault (13-9 1-4).
UST runners-up were:
- Cole Boughner in the 200 (22.94);
- Chase Graff in the 800 (2:00.43);
- Allen Michael Burback in the 1000 (2:33.24);
- Austin Jochum in the weight throw (47-4 1-4);
- Murtha in the shot put (47-7 1-4);
- Conor White in the triple jump (41-8 3-4);
- Cross in the high jump (6-2 3-4);
Thirds were scored by:
- Witschen in the 200 (23.23);
- Connor Bednarek in the 60 dash (7.21);
- Charlie Jones in the 1000 (2:35.23);
- David Danhauer in the weight throw (46-6);
- Dan Sauro in the long jump (19-9);
- John Klun in the triple jump (41-5);
- Tobis Jansen in the pole vault (12-9 1-2).
