Johnson-Arigu delivers 25 points on his birthday during 99-86 win

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Sophomore Isaiah Johnson-Arigu celebrated his birthday with 25 points on 77 percent shooting Wednesday night as St. Thomas took down South Dakota, 99-86, to extend its home winning streak to a nation-leading 27 games. Sophomore Nolan Minessale added 22 points and the program's Division I era records of 12 assists and 6 steals to help the Tommies (13-4, 2-0 Summit League) to its fourth straight game scoring at least 90 points.

FIRST HALF: St. Thomas took control early and never relinquished it, using a decisive 13-0 run to claim the game's final lead. Carter Bjerke bookended the surge with 3-pointers, the first tying the game at 5-5 and the second capping the run to swing momentum firmly to the Tommies. St. Thomas continued to apply pressure, extending the lead to 30-16 with 10:23 remaining in the half behind an 8-2 run that featured six points from Nolan Minessale, including four at the free-throw line.

The advantage steadily grew as the Tommies paired efficiency with defensive disruption. Over a 4:43 stretch, St. Thomas shot 6-of-8 from the field while limiting South Dakota to 2-of-6 shooting and forcing four turnovers, pushing the lead to 49-29. The Tommies closed the half shooting 66.7 percent overall and assisting on 17 of their 20 made field goals, while forcing 11 Coyotes turnovers. Isaiah Johnson-Arigu powered the offense with 17 first-half points on 7-of-8 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc, as South Dakota shot 40 percent overall with six of its 10 made field goals coming from three-point range.

SECOND HALF: St. Thomas opened the second half by stretching the margin to a game-high 24 when Jermaine Coleman drilled a 3-pointer to make it 66-42. South Dakota answered with an 8-0 run to trim the deficit to 16, but Coleman halted the surge with his second triple of the night on the ensuing possession, helping the Tommies maintain a near 20-point cushion through the next four minutes. The Coyotes continued to chip away midway through the half, connecting on four of six shots over a four-minute span to pull within 85-72 as St. Thomas went cold briefly, shooting 2-of-6 during the stretch.

The Tommies responded with poise and balance. Bjerke knocked down a pair of free throws before Johnson-Arigu converted a layup for his 25th point of the night, sparking an 8-2 answer that was capped by back-to-back layups from Minessale. St. Thomas again finished the half shooting better than 50 percent, going 58.6 percent overall with four 3-pointers after the break. Minessale delivered 14 of his 22 points in the second half, going 7-of-10 from the field, as the Tommies closed out their 27th consecutive home win.

TOMMIE TIDBITS

Isaiah Johnson-Arigu led St. Thomas with a career-high 25 points on his 20th birthday, shooting 10-of-13 from the field with four 3-pointers and four rebounds.
Nolan Minessale recorded his nation-leading 14th 20-point game, finishing with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting while setting the program's Division I era single-game records with 12 assists and six steals. It marked the program's first points-and-assists double-double of the DI era and tied or set the Summit League single-game highs this season.
St. Thomas won its 27th straight home game, extending the nation's longest active home winning streak and tying Kentucky for the sixth-longest streak in NCAA Division I since the start of the 2021-22 season.
The Tommies have scored at least 90 points in four straight games for the first time in the Division I era and have reached 80 points in each game of their seven-game winning streak, also a program first at the DI level.
St. Thomas has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in six consecutive games during the 2025-26 season.
The Tommies had five players reach double-digit scoring for the fourth time this season.

UP NEXT
St. Thomas travels to Tulsa, Okla., Saturday, Jan. 10 for its first road contest of the Summit League season, tipping off against Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. CT.

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-- St. Thomas Athletics --

Johnson-Arigu delivers 25 points on his birthday during 99-86 win

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Team Stats

Isaiah Johnson-Arigu

Nolan Minessale

Carter Bjerke

Jermaine Coleman

Players Mentioned

Carter Bjerke

Jermaine Coleman

Isaiah Johnson-Arigu

Nolan Minessale

University of St. Thomas Athletics