Bjorklund's career high 32 points lead Tommies past Bison, 79-66

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A defensive effort helped St. Thomas men's basketball surge in the second half Thursday night to take down North Dakota State, 79-66, in front of a crowd of 1,614 in Schoenecker Arena. The Tommies (14-7, 4-2 Summit League) held the Bison (9-12, 2-4 Summit League) to just eight field goals on 29.6 percent shooting in the second half while graduate student Parker Bjorklund scored a career high 32 points to lead the offensive attack.

Bjorklund went 12-of-22 from the field, knocking down six field goals in each half along with four 3-pointers in the first half, and was one rebound shy of a double-double. He's the first Tommie to score at least 30 points in a game since fellow grad student Brooks Allen recorded 30 last season and scored the most points overall since Anders Nelson put up 33 points on Feb. 5, 2020.

St. Thomas shot 51.9 percent overall (28-54) and 29.6 percent from 3-point range (8-27) while going 15-of-18 from the free throw line. The Tommie defense forced 14 Bison turnovers that led to 18 points while giving away just seven turnovers, their eighth game this season with seven or fewer. After trailing 42-36 at halftime, the Purple limited NDSU to 24 points in the second half, marking its second win this season when facing a halftime deficit.

RECAP
Bjorklund's scoring began early as he answered a first-possession basket from NDSU with a 3-pointer, sparking a 12-6 run over a two-minute span. Another 3-pointer from Bjorklund capped the run but a 7-0 run gave the Bison their second lead of the game, 15-12. Bjorklund's third 3-pointer over the first five minutes tied the game while three layups from freshman Carter Bjerke and sophomore Ahjany Lee, including two off turnovers, gave the Toms its largest lead of the first half.

The Bison followed with a 9-2 run to retake the lead, 24-23, that was pushed to a game-high nine points twice. Bjorklund's final 3-pointer of the first half came just before the buzzer to snap a 12-4 NDSU run and bring the Toms within six at halftime, 42-36.

Bjorklund again began the Tommies' scoring in the second half that helped chip away at the deficit. The Purple held the Bison to 1-of-7 shooting, including 0-of-2 from long range with two turnovers, over a span of 5:24 to take its final lead of the game. Long balls from junior Ben Nau and sophomore Kendall Blue began and ended a 12-2 run over that span for a 53-48 advantage. NDSU scored the next four points to draw within one but missed their next three field goals to allow St. Thomas to extend its lead again to eight, 62-54.

After pushing its lead to double digits with just under five minutes to play, St. Thomas connected on five of its last six field goal attempts, including nine points from Bjorklund, to secure its fourth win in Summit League play.

TOP TOMMIES

Graduate student Parker Bjorklund led the Toms with a career high 32 points, shooting 50 percent from behind the arc (5-10), with nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals. He became the first Tommie to reach at least 30 points since Brooks Allen totaled 30 points on Dec. 31, 2022 against South Dakota State. It's the highest individual single-game total since the Tommies joined Division I.
Graduate student Raheem Anthony scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Anthony added five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Johnny Tauer on the biggest factor from the first half to the second during Thursday's win over NDSU
"I'd say the word of the day for us was composure, when you think about, against a team that is really prolific offensively. All five of their starters can go for 20 (points) any night and the first half I really didn't recognize our defense, to be honest. Now some of that is credit to them, but their effective field goal percentage, they had 36 points on 21 attempts and you can't win when you're giving up 1.7 points per shot. At halftime we talked about, you know, what do we stand for defensively and they're very good so it's not like you're going to shut them out. It's about playing with composure and poise and toughness, and sometimes they're hard to blend.

"They way we bounced back in the second half highlights they way they trust each other and the way they really believe in, this is how we play and this is what we stand for. I appreciate the crowd. It was an incredible environment. A packed house against a perennial power and we're thrilled to get a win."

UP NEXT
The Tommies continue at home in Schoenecker on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. against University of North Dakota. The Tommies are 3-2 against the Fighting Hawks since joining the Summit League, including a 70-45 win Dec. 29, 2023 to open conference play.

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Team Stats

Parker Bjorklund

Raheem Anthony

Kendall Blue

Drake Dobbs

Players Mentioned

Brooks Allen

Raheem Anthony

Carter Bjerke

Parker Bjorklund

Kendall Blue

Ahjany Lee

Ben Nau