Blue records 18 points and 9 rebounds as Mavericks top Tommies

OMAHA, Neb. – A near double-double by Kendall Blue wasn't enough as St. Thomas men's basketball was handed its first loss in Summit League play Thursday night, 89-78, to Omaha. The Tommies (15-6, 5-1 Summit League), led by Blue with 18 points and 9 rebounds, dropped to second place behind the Mavericks (12-9, 6-0 Summit League) in the conference standings.

The Purple faced a battle while trailing for the majority of the game but saw an opportunity late behind a 9-1 run. Down by 12, 3-pointers by Blue, Drake Dobbs and Ben Nau cut the deficit to 79-75 with 3:21 to play. Omaha finished the game on a 10-3 run as St. Thomas missed four of its next five field goals, all behind the arc.

St. Thomas shot 49.2 percent (29-59) from the field and made 9-of-29 3-pointers on the night. The Tommies' only lead came midway through the opening half as Carter Bjerke converted an and-one opportunity for a 27-25 advantage. The Mavericks, who shot 53.6 percent (30-56) overall and 43.8 percent (7-16) from long range in the game, followed with an 11-3 run to lead for the rest of the way.

TOMMIE TIDBITS

St. Thomas fell to 1-6 this season when trailing at halftime, including its last loss on the road Dec. 29 at UC Riverside.
Both teams entered as the league's top 3-point shooting teams in conference games, but both shot shy of their averages. UNO led the league in 3-point defense as St. Thomas finished shooting 31.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Kendall Blue led the Tommies with 18 points, his ninth career game with at least 17, and tied for the game high with 9 rebounds. He shot 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
Miles Barnstable finished with 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting, scoring seven points in each half. He added three steals and three rebounds.
Ben Nau came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-5 from long range.

UP NEXT
St. Thomas rounds out its quick two-game road trip Saturday, Jan. 25 with a 7 p.m. tipoff at Kansas City.

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-- St. Thomas Athletics --

Blue records 18 points and 9 rebounds as Mavericks top Tommies

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Team Stats

Kendall Blue

Miles Barnstable

Ben Nau

Drake Dobbs

Players Mentioned

Miles Barnstable

Carter Bjerke

Kendall Blue

Drake Dobbs

Ben Nau

University of St. Thomas Athletics