Tommies secure first win in Anderson Arena over Army, 83-76

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sophomore Nolan Minessale put up his second straight 20-point performance to start the 2025-26 season as St. Thomas men's basketball took down Army, 83-76, to open the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena on Saturday night. The Tommies (1-1) shot 50.0 percent from the field, including 71.4 percent on 2-point field goals, to extend its home winning streak to a nation-longest 19 games in front of a sold-out crowd.

SCORING SUMMARY:
First Half: Ryan Dufault scored the first Tommie basket inside Lee & Penny Anderson Arena to spark a dominant start for St. Thomas. The Tommies exploded for a 17-0 run to take a 32-11 lead - their largest of the game - as Carter Bjerke and Nolan Minessale each scored five points during the surge, capped by a Nick Janowski 3-pointer. Army went 0-for-6 from the field and committed four turnovers during the stretch.

The Black Knights answered with a 13-2 run to close the gap to 34-24 before St. Thomas closed the half strong, hitting three of its final four shots behind four points apiece from Janowski and Jermaine Coleman to take a 44-29 halftime lead.

Second Half: Army opened the second half on an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to 46-37 and later pulled within seven at 53-46. Isaiah Johnson-Arigu delivered back-to-back baskets to steady the Tommie offense and restore a double-digit margin, and St. Thomas maintained control from there. The Tommies shot 48.3 percent in the second half and 50 percent overall to secure an 83-76 win in their home opener.

TOMMIE TIDBITS

Nolan Minessale finished with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, adding six assists, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal with no turnovers. He became the first Tommie in the Division I era to open a season with back-to-back 20-point games.
Nick Janowski totaled 16 points, going 8-of-11 at the free throw line, with five rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Carter Bjerke added 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting with four boards, while Isaiah Johnson-Arigu provided 11 points off the bench in 21 minutes, shooting 4-of-7 with a 3-pointer.
St. Thomas improved to 14-1 in home openers under Head Coach Johnny Tauer and extended the nation's longest active home winning streak to 19 games, dating back to Feb. 8, 2024.
The Tommies shot 50.0 percent (30-60) from the field and 72.0 percent (18-25) from the line, compared to 43.5 percent (27-62) for Army.
St. Thomas tallied 18 assists to just seven turnovers and outscored the Black Knights 50-28 in the paint, while converting 10 points off 11 Army turnovers.

UP NEXT
St. Thomas makes its first ever appearance in the newly constructed Lee & Penny Anderson Arena on Saturday, Nov. 8 as it takes on Army West Point at 7 p.m.

FOLLOW ALONG
For more information on St. Thomas Men's Basketball, follow along on X at @TommieMBBall and Instagram at @tommiehoops. Tommie Athletics is now on TikTok at @tommiesports.

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-- St. Thomas Athletics --

Tommies secure first win in Anderson Arena over Army, 83-76

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Team Stats

Nolan Minessale

Nick Janowski

Carter Bjerke

Isaiah Johnson-Arigu

Players Mentioned

Carter Bjerke

Jermaine Coleman

Ryan Dufault

Nick Janowski

Isaiah Johnson-Arigu

Nolan Minessale

University of St. Thomas Athletics