Minessale ties Men’s Basketball’s DI single-game record with 32 points in win

ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Thomas men's basketball closed the Big Sky-Summit Challenge in emphatic fashion Sunday, riding a record-tying 32-point performance from Nolan Minessale to an 88-65 win over Weber State at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena.

SCORING SUMMARY:
First Half: St. Thomas used two decisive scoring bursts to seize control early, turning a tight opening stretch into a commanding advantage. A 10-0 run from 14:55 to 13:37 - fueled by five points each from Minessale and Nick Janowski - gave the Tommies their first real separation, 19-7. They piled on minutes later with a 13-0 surge spanning nearly four minutes, with Minessale pouring in seven during that stretch as the lead ballooned, 36-12.

Minessale set the tone with an efficient 21 first-half points, repeatedly attacking the paint as St. Thomas shot 59.4 percent from the field and scored 26 points inside through the first 20 minutes. The Tommies turned 10 Wildcat turnovers into 18 points in the first half, riding the momentum into halftime with a 47-23 advantage.

Second Half: Weber State cut the St. Thomas lead to 16 three times early in the second half before a pair of 3-point plays, a 3-pointer by Carter Bjerke and an and-one opportunity by Jermaine Coleman, to steady to offense. Minessale completed a commanding night by finishing 12 of 16 from the field, knocking down two 3-pointers and going 6-for-6 at the line while adding five assists, four steals and two blocks through the game. With six players recording at least one steal and only four turnovers as a team in the second half, the Tommies protected a lead that swelled past 20 and remained in hand the rest of the way to close out the Challenge at home.

TOMMIE TIDBITS

The Tommies extended their home winning streak to 22 games, tying Duke for the longest streak in the nation.
Head Coach Johnny Tauer is nearing 300 career wins, notching his 298th following the victory over Weber State.
St. Thomas shot 56.9 percent (33-58) and scored 48 points in the paint, compared to 41.8 percent (23-55) overall for Weber State with 30 points in the paint. The Tommies limited the Wildcats to 25.0 percent (7-28) shooting and 22.2 percent (2-9) from long range in the first half.
The Tommies converted 26 points off 17 Weber State turnovers, while giving away just 10 turnovers for 6 WSU points.
Nolan Minessale's 32 points tied St. Thomas' Division I era single-game scoring record, finishing 12-for-16 from the field, 2-for-3 on 3-pointers and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line. He tied Parker Bjorklund and Raheem Anthony, who each scored 32 points in back-to-back games during the 2023-24 season. Minessale added five assists, four steals and two blocks against Weber State.
Nick Janowski delivered a strong all-around game with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists. He has scored at least 10 points in all games against Division I opponents this season.
Carter Bjerke scored 11 points with a team-high three 3-pointers and added five rebounds. After totaling just one game above 10 points through the first seven of the season, Bjerke now has at least 11 points in three of the last four games.
Isaiah Johnson-Arigu finished with nine points and a team-high six rebounds. Ryan Dufault posted six assists, two steals and zero turnovers while adding four points.
St. Thomas ended the Big Sky-Summit Challenge on a high note, improving to 1-1 in the series this season and 5-1 through three seasons. The Tommies are now 10-4 all-time against Big Sky opponents.

UP NEXT
St. Thomas rekindles a long-time rivalry against Saint John's (MN) on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. in Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. It will be the 169th game in the series since 1936 and the first since March 3, 2021. St. Thomas holds a 112-56 record in the series.

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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Minessale ties Men’s Basketball’s DI single-game record with 32 points in win

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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