Janowski, Minessale each top 20 points as Tommies fall to Cougars, 81-71

PULLMAN, Wash. -The scoring duo of sophomore Nolan Minessale and redshirt freshman Nick Janowski continued to produce with a pair of 20-point games as St. Thomas men's basketball fell at Washington State, 81-71, on Monday night in Pullman, Wash. Janowski led all scorers with a career high 22 points followed by Minessale with 20 points, his third straight 20-point game, as the Tommies fall to 1-2 this season.

SCORING SUMMARY:
First Half: Washington State opened fast, scoring the first 10 points of the night before St. Thomas got on the board with a 3-pointer from Austin Herro at the 15:13 mark. Herro's shot ignited a 7-0 Tommie run that pulled the Purple within four, 12-8, but the Cougars quickly reestablished control. After staying within six midway through the half, the Tommies gave away four turnovers during a 10-0 Washington State surge that stretched the deficit to 20. A Minessale dunk stopped the run, but the Cougars took a 50-30 lead into halftime. St. Thomas shot 42.5 percent from the field but went just 4-of-16 from 3-point range, while Washington State shot 59.3 percent overall and 12-of-12 from the line. The Cougars dominated the glass, holding a 20-7 rebounding edge in the first half.

Second Half: The Cougars hit their first three field goals after halftime to build a 25-point lead, 58-33. St. Thomas chipped away as Janowski scored from deep on consecutive possessions, trimming the deficit to 65-46 and later to 70-53. The freshman guard buried his fifth 3-pointer of the night to reach a career-high 22 points, sparking a 10-1 Tommie run in the closing minutes. Despite forcing two turnovers and a pair of missed shots, St. Thomas couldn't close the gap as Washington State held on for the win.

TOMMIE TIDBITS

Nick Janowski scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range — the first Tommie to hit five triples in a game since Ben Nau on Dec. 13, 2024, and the first freshman in the Division I era to do so.
Nolan Minessale added 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting and 8-of-10 from the line, while tallying six assists, three rebounds, and just one turnover. He remains the only Tommie in the Division I era to open a season with three straight 20-point games.
St. Thomas shot 45.3 percent (24-53) overall and 36.0 percent (9-25) from beyond the arc, while Washington State finished at 51.9 percent (28-54).
The Cougars held a 36-19 rebounding advantage, including eight offensive boards that led to 16 second-chance points.

UP NEXT
St. Thomas returns to Lee & Penny Anderson Arena Thursday, Nov. 13 as it hosts Green Bay at 7 p.m.

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Janowski, Minessale each top 20 points as Tommies fall to Cougars, 81-71

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Team Stats

Nick Janowski

Nolan Minessale

Isaiah Johnson-Arigu

Carter Bjerke

Players Mentioned

Austin Herro

Nick Janowski

Nolan Minessale

Ben Nau

University of St. Thomas Athletics