The St. Thomas men’s basketball team used balanced scoring and good shooting to pull away from Oral Roberts for an 86-71 Summit League victory Wednesday night at Schoenecker Arena.
St. Thomas men’s basketball team defeats Oral Roberts for 10th win in a row at home
The Tommies moved into a tie for first place in the Summit League.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 30, 2025 at 3:15AM
The victory kept the Tommies (17-6, 7-1 Summit) unbeaten in 10 home games and moved them into a tie for first place with Omaha in the Summit League standings. Omaha lost at South Dakota 91-87 on Wednesday.
The Tommies had four players score in double figures and shot 57.1% from the field. Junior guard Miles Barnstable, who leads the Tommies in scoring (14.9 points per game), led with 23 points. Kendall Blue and Carter Bjerke each added 13 for the Tommies.
The Tommies, who led by three at halftime, outscored the Golden Eagles 19-9 in the first six minutes of the second half to forge a 64-51 lead. The Golden Eagles didn’t get closer than 11 points in the final 15 minutes as the Tommies, who committed only five turnovers, led by as many as 17 points.
Isaac McBride, the Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, led the Golden Eagles with 21 points.
Both teams put together runs in the first half. The Golden Eagles used an 8-0 run to open a 19-12 lead with 13 minutes left in the half. The Tommies used a 10-0 run in a 90-second span to open a 26-23 lead with 9½ minutes left.
With the Golden Eagles leading 36-34 five minutes before the intermission, the Tommies put together an 11-3 run to take a 45-39 lead with 40 seconds remaining.
A three-pointer by McBride with 17 seconds left got the Golden Eagles within three at the break.
The Tommies moved into a tie for first place in the Summit League.
