Tommies handle Rams 96-71 in season opener Monday night

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The new faces of St. Thomas men's basketball took no time to adjust Monday night during a 96-71 win against North Central to open the 2024-25 season at Schoenecker Arena in front of a crowd of 1,353. Six players scored in double figures while four freshmen scored their first collegiate points, including a double double of 14 points and 10 rebounds from Ben Oosterbaan.

Eight of Oosterbaan's 10 rebounds came on the offensive end while he finished shooting 4-of-5 overall, including one 3-pointer, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Miles Barnstable led the Tommies with 16 points followed by freshman Nolan Minessale with 14, both in their first games wearing the Purple.

RECAP
North Central jumped out to a 4-0 lead early and made St. Thomas struggle through the opening five minutes. After opening the game 3-of-7 from the field and trailing 13-11, the Tommies made three free throws followed by back-to-back layups by Ryan Dufault to take the lead for the remainder of the game. St. Thomas hit 14 of its 16 free-throw attempts and pulled down 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, taking a 47-34 advantage into halftime.

In the second half, St. Thomas capitalized on North Central's missed opportunities, using a 12-0 run to establish a game-high 30-point lead with 13:43 remaining. The Rams made just one point over the first 6:47 of the second half as the Tommies kept up their defensive pressure to end the game with a 50-34 rebound advantage.

TOP TOMMIES

Junior Miles Barnstable led the Tommies in scoring with 16 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line during his first career game with St. Thomas.
Freshmen Nolan Minessale and Ben Oosterbaan each scored 14 points during their collegiate debuts. Minessale shot 6-of-12 from the field along with three rebounds, two blocks, two assists and one steal. Oosterbaan recorded a double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, including eight offensive rebounds. He shot 4-of-5 from the field, with one 3-pointer, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
Drake Dobbs and Ryan Dufault each scored 12 points on four made field goals. The point guard duo combined for eight assists and two turnovers.
Carter Bjerke, making his first start with the Tommies, scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-7 from long range, with seven rebounds, four assists and one block.

FOLLOW ALONG
For more information on St. Thomas Men's Basketball, follow along on X (formerly Twitter) at @TommieMBBall and on Instagram at @TommieHoops

-- St. Thomas Athletics --

Next Event

Team Stats

Miles Barnstable

Nolan Minessale

Ben Oosterbaan

Drake Dobbs

Players Mentioned

Miles Barnstable

Carter Bjerke

Drake Dobbs

Ryan Dufault

Nolan Minessale

Ben Oosterbaan