Senior Jesse Van Sickle

The Gustavus men’s basketball team saw it’s season come to an end on Saturday night with a 78-71 overtime loss to Carleton in the MIAC Playoff Championship game in front of a some 2,800 fans in Lund Center Forum on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College.  Carleton proved to be too strong in the overtime session, scoring the first six points and shooting 5-for-6 from the field.  Phil Wirtjes lead the Gusties in scoring with a career/game-high of 22 points (9-14).  Jeremy Sutherland led the Knights with a game-high 22 points (9-15).

It is the first MIAC Playoff Championship won by Carleton in history, as the Knights were 0-2 in their previous two championship game appearances.  Gustavus finishes the season with a 16-11 overall record.  Carleton improves to 19-9 overall and receives an automatic berth into NCAA Tournament.  Carleton has now won 12 of it’s last 13 games.

Phil Wirtjes takes a jumper over Carleton's Blaise Davis

The first half was an up-and-down affair, as there were 10 lead changes within the frame.  Gustavus made an 8-0 run at the 10:12 mark to take a 21-15 lead.  Carleton battled back as Bryan Rosett tied the game at 30-30 on a layup with 1:14 on clock.  Rosett finished the half with ten points while shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.  Ryan McPartland put Gustavus up two with under one minute remaining, yet Seth Jonker tied the game at 32-32 on a pair of free throws with :24 seconds left.

The Gustavus bench out-scored Carleton’s bench 11-0 in the first half.  The Gusties shot 46.7% (14-30) in the half, as Carleton shot 52% (13-25).  Carleton’s Sutherland and Jonker each scored 10 points, while Wirtjes led the Gusties with seven points.

Gustavus would trail by as many as eight points in the second half, when Sutherland put the Knights on top 48-40 with a 13:36 left to play.  The Gusties came storming back, as a layup by Paul Blacklock at the 12:58 mark ignited an 11-0 Gustavus scoring run that gave the Gustavus a 51-48 lead with just under ten minutes remaining.  Blaise Davis tied the game at 51-51 with a three pointer on the ensuing possession.  The Gusties held a 61-60 advantage before Rosett hit a three pointer coming off a Carleton timeout, putting the Knights on top 63-61 with 1:54 left on the clock.  Rosett led the Knights in scoring with nine second half points.

Paul Blacklock knotted the game at 63-63 on a layup with :54 seconds left, and Carleton had a chance to take lead on the following possession, but Jonker went up to strong on a layup, missing the shot and giving Gustavus the ball with :25 seconds left.  Seth Anderson was unable to get a good look at a game-winning shot and the contest went into overtime tied at 63-63.

The Gustavus student section with mascot Gus the Lion

Gustavus shot 48.4% (15-31) from the field and 33.3% (1-3) from three-point range in the second half.  The Gusties got to the free throw line just once (0-1) after the first two halves of basketball.  Carleton shot 45.8% (11-24) from the floor and 50% (5-10) from three-point range in the second half.

Jeremy Sutherland scored seven of Carleton’s first nine points of the overtime period, giving Carleton a 72-65 lead with 2:22 remaining.  Gustavus came out flat in overtime, going 0-for-4 from the floor in the two minutes.  Carleton went 5-for-6 from the field, as Gustavus was 3-for-11.

Gustavus finished with a 44.4% (32-72) field goal percentage, while shooting 46.2% from beyond the arc.  Carleton shot 52.7% (29-55) from the field and 45% (9-20) from three-point range.  Augsburg was 11-for-15 from the charity stripe, while Gustavus was just 1-for-3.  Gustavus won the turnover battle 8-4 and edged the Knights 39-32 in rebounds.

Paul Blacklock goes up strong for a layup

Van Sickle and Anderson joined Wirtjes in double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively.  Rosett scored 19 points, Jonker scored 18, and Blaise Davis scored 10 to join Sutherland in double-figure scoring.

Box Score

Phil Wirtjes going up for the game-winning shot over Augsburg's Andy Grzesiak-Grimm

With the game tied at 57-57, Gustavus Adolphus junior guard Phil Wirtjes, stole the Augsburg in-bounds pass with 0:10 seconds on the clock, took the ball coast-to-coast and finished on the other end with a layup, giving the men’s basketball team a 59-57 win over the Auggies in the MIAC Playoff Semifinal game in St. Peter, Minn. on Thursday night.  Augsburg’s Jon Cassens had a chance to tie the game with 0:04 seconds on the clock, yet Seth Anderson got his hand on the ball, forcing a turnover and not allowing a game-winning three-point attempt.

The Gusties will now play Carleton in the MIAC Playoff Championship on Gus Young Court Saturday, Feb 27, at 7:30 pm, due to the upset of #1 seed St. Thomas by #4 Carleton 73-67 in St. Paul.

The game was tightly contested in the first half, as there were five lead changes in the half.  Gustavus got out to an early 6-2 lead on a jumper by Sam Paulson at the 16:39 mark, yet the Auggies responded with a 7-0 run, giving them a three point lead (9-6) with just over twelve minutes on the clock.  The game went back-and-forth for four minutes until a Dan Schmidtknecht jumper sparked a 10-2 run that put Gustavus up 24-19 with 3:53 on the clock.  Augsburg would bring the game to within two points (24-22), yet the Gusties would close the half with a 7-0 run that was capped off by a Jesse Van Sickle three pointer, which gave Gustavus a 33-25 lead at the break.

Seth Anderson playing defense on Jon Cassens

Gustavus shot 50% (16-32) in the half, out-rebounding the Auggies 24-to-11.  Paul Blacklock led the Gusties with eight points, while pulling down seven rebounds in the half.  Augsburg shot 33.3% (9-27) in the half, as Mathew Quammen led the team in scoring with eight points.

Augsburg came out of the locker room on fire, putting a 12-4 run on the Gusties and tying the game at 37-37 with 14:22 left to play in the game.  Gustavus answered with a 10-2 run that put Gustavus up 49-41 with just under ten minutes to play in the game.  Augsburg would not go away however, as the Auggies made a late charge to tie the game at 57-57 on a David Olson three pointer with 1:58 remaining.  After being blanked in the first half, Olson scored 10 points (4-6) in the second half to lead the Auggies in scoring.  With Augsburg in control of the ball with :34 seconds on the clock, Jon Cassens missed a three pointer, yet an offensive rebound by Brett Sorenson gave the ball back to Augsburg with under the basket with :10 seconds to play.  Wirtjes jumped the inbounds pass, making the steal and converting on the other end to give Gustavus a berth into the MIAC Playoff Championship game.

Tyler Grey drives baseline. Grey led the team with 11 points.

Tyler Grey led the Gusties with nine points in the half as the team shot 43.5% (10-23) from the field.  Augsburg shot 50% (14-28) in the half, while outscoring the Gusties 32-26 in the frame.

Gustavus finished the game shooting 47.3% (26-55) from the floor and 50% (3-6) from three-point range.  Tyler Grey led the Gusties with 11 points (4-5), as Van Sickle scored nine (4-7), and Jim Hill (3-6) and Blacklock (4-5) both scored eight.  Augsburg shot 41.8% (23-55) from the field and 47.3% (7-17) from three-point range.  Four Auggies scored in double figures as Olson, Cassens, Cory Polta, and Matthew Quammen all had 10 points.

The Gustavus men’s basketball team will face the Carleton Knights on Saturday, Feb. 27, for the MIAC Playoff Championship and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament at 7:30 pm in St. Peter, Minn.

Box Score

Photo Gallery

You will be able to follow the game via live stats or watch it live through the Gustavus website.

First Round: Friday, February 26
#5 St. Olaf at #4 Augsburg, Time TBA

Semifinals: Saturday, February 27
#3 St. Thomas at #2 Hamline, 7:15 p.m.
#4/#5 Winner at #1 Gustavus, 7:05 p.m.

Championship: Wednesday, March 3
Semifinal Winners at Highest Remaining Seed, Time TBA

Quarterfinals: Monday, February 22
#6 St. Catherine defeated #3 Concordia 79-65
#5 St. Thomas defeated #4 Macalester 60-52.

Semifinals: Wednesday, February 24
#5 St. Thomas at #2 Gustavus, 7:30 p.m.
#6 St. Catherine at #1 Saint Benedict, 7:30 p.m.

Championship: Saturday, February 27
Semifinal winners at Highest Remaining Seed, 3 p.m.

Quarterfinals: Tuesday, February 23
#3 Augsburg 86 #6 Saint John’s 75
#4 Carleton 71 #5 Hamline 63

Semifinals: Thursday, February 25
Highest Remaining Seed at #2 Gustavus, 7:30 p.m.
Lowest Remaining Seed at #1 St. Thomas, 7:45 p.m. (at Concordia-St. Paul)

Championship: Saturday, February 27
Semifinal winners at Highest Remaining Seed, 7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m.
* MIAC Playoff Champion earns the MIAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

2009 MIAC Regular Season and Playoff Champions

Nick Hansen rips a backhand against St. Thomas.

John Kauss lost just two games in two singles matches.

Pat Clark lines up a forehand against St. Olaf.

The tenth-ranked Gustavus men’s tennis team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after claiming the MIAC Playoff Championship on Saturday at the Brown Outdoor Tennis Courts in St. Peter. The Gusties, who improved to 25-8, defeated St. Olaf 8-1 after defeating St. Thomas 9-0 in the semifinal round. The NCAA Tournament field will be announced on Monday afternoon.

Gustavus, who was seeded #1 in the tournament as a result of winning the MIAC regular season title, started the day with a 5-0 win over St. Thomas. The Gusties earned all three doubles points as Mike Burdakin and John Kauss defeated Phillip Hanke and Kevin Walker 8-2 at the #1 position, Charlie Paukert and Ben Tomasek defeated Dan Cooper and Matt Bergstrom 8-0 at the #2 position, and David Koppel and Patrick Clark defeated Drew Carlson and Andy Michels 8-5 at the #3 position. Gustavus closed out the match with singles wins in the #1 and #4 spots. John Kauss defeated Phillip Hanke 6-0, 6-1 at the #1 position, while Ben Tomasek defeated Dan Cooper 6-1, 6-2 at the #4 position. The Gusties also received wins from Mike Burdakin at #2, Charlie Paukert at #3, Patrick Clark at #5, and Nick Hansen at #6.

In the championship match, Gustavus again claimed each of the three doubles points Mike Burdakin and John Kauss defeated Ian Pray and Knute Gundersen 8-4 at the #1 position, Charlie Paukert and Ben Tomasek defeated David Narvaez and Brian Tolly 8-3 at the #2 position, and Nick Hansen and Kevin Stickney defeated Will Mitchell and John Wight 8-5 at the #3 position. Ben Tomasek tallied the first singles win for the Gusties as he defeated Brian Tolly 6-2, 6-2 at the #4 spot, while John Kauss notched the deciding point at #1 singles by defeating Ian Pray 6-1, 6-0. Gustavus finished the match with wins at #2 singles by Mike Burdakin, #3 singles by Charlie Paukert, and at #6 singles by Patrick Clark.

The Gusties, who will be appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 26th time, will be making their 16th consecutive appearance. Gustavus won the NCAA Championship in 1980 and 1982.

St. Thomas Box Score

St. Olaf Box Score

Photo Gallery

St. Olaf will face Carleton in one of the MIAC semifinal matches on Saturday.

St. Thomas will face Gustavus in the other MIAC semifinal match on Saturday.

The fourth-seed St. Olaf Oles and the sixth-seed St. Thomas Tommies advanced to the semifinal round of the MIAC Men’s Tennis Playoffs on Friday at the Swanson Tennis Center in St. Peter. The Oles defeated the fifth-seed Saint John’s Johnnies 7-2, while the Tommies upset the third-seed Bethel Royals 5-4.

The top-seeded Gustavus will face St. Thomas since it is the lowest remaining seed in the tournament and second-seeded Carleton will face St. Olaf. If play is held outdoors or indoors, matches will begin at 9 a.m. The semifinal winners will square off at 2 p.m if played outdoors. If play is forced indoors, matches will begin at 4 p.m. The champion will receive the MIAC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Championships.

St. Thomas 5, Bethel 4
St. Olaf 7, Saint John’s 2

Kylie Huether won her match at #2 singles to send Saint Benedict into the semifinals.

St. Olaf will face Carleton in one of the semifinal matches on Saturday.

The third-seed St. Olaf Oles and the fourth-seed St. Ben’s Blazers advanced to the semifinal round of the MIAC Women’s Tennis Tournament on Friday at the Brown Outdoor Complex in St. Peter. The Oles defeated the sixth-seed Concordia Cobbers 8-1, while the Blazers defeated fifth-seed St. Thomas 5-4.

Top-seed Gustavus will face St. Ben’s and second-seeded Carleton will face St. Olaf on Saturday morning at 11:30 am. The semifinal winners will square off at 3 p.m. The champion will receive the MIAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.

St. Olaf 8, Concordia 1
Saint Benedict 5, St. Thomas 4

Jesse Van Sickle lead the Gusties in scoring at 10.8 points per game.

Sam Paulson is averaging 13.5 points and 8.0 rebounds over the last four games.

Ryan McPartland helps provide a presence in the post as he averages 5.6 boards per game.

The No. 6 seed Gustavus men’s basketball team will face No. 1 seed St. Thomas in the MIAC Semifinals on Wednesday night at Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. The winner will advance to the conference championship game on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the site of the highest remaining seed. Gustavus enters the contest at 13-13, while St. Thomas is undefeated at 25-0. You can listen to the game on KRDS-FM (95.5) or through the Gustavus website.

-The Gusties are making their ninth consecutive appearance in the MIAC semifinals after Monday’s 71-68 win over Saint John’s. It is the longest streak of any team in the conference followed by St. Thomas, which has made five straight semifinal appearances. The only time Gustavus and the Tommies have previously met in the MIAC semifinals was in 1988 when the Gusties prevailed 65-58 at Gus Young Court.

-Jesse Van Sickle and Sam Paulson lead Gustavus in scoring averaging 10.8 and 10.1 points per game, respectively. However, ten different players have paced Gustavus in scoring this season.

-The Gusties finished the conference schedule ranked fourth in scoring offense at 69.8 points per game and second in scoring defense allowing 63.0 points per game.

-Gustavus was second in the MIAC behind St. Thomas in field goal percentage making 49.3 percent of its shots. The Gusties were also second in three-point field goal percentage at 38.9 percent (105-for-270). Jesse Van Sickle led the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 48.6 percent (35-for-72).

-The Gusties led the league in rebounding margin by grabbing an average of 5.2 boards more than their opponent.

-This season the halftime score has been a good predictor of the outcome of the game as Gustavus is 12-3 in games when it is leading at halftime and 1-10 when it is trailing at halftime.

-The Gusties’ upset over No. 3 Saint John’s marked the fifth time since the expansion of the MIAC Playoffs to a six-team format in 2000-01 that the sixth-seed has defeated the third-seed. The last time the No. 6 team defeated the No. 3 team was in 2007 when St. Olaf knocked off Bethel 81-79 in overtime.

-Junior Sam Paulson recorded his first double-double of the season and second of his career with 17 points and 13 boards against Saint John’s on Saturday. He followed up the performance with 15 points and six rebounds in Monday night’s game against the Johnnies. Over the last four games, Paulson has averaged 13.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

The Gusties’ starting lineup includes junior wing Jesse Van Sickle (10.8 ppg), junior post Sam Paulson (10.1 ppg), junior wing Ryan McPartland (9.9 ppg), senior wing Robert Schmidt (7.6), and senior point guard Mike DesLauriers (2.7 ppg). Sophomore point guard Dan Schmidtknecht (5.6 ppg) and first-year post Bobby Johnson (6.4 ppg) are the first players off the bench.

The Tommies starting lineup includes junior guard Joe Scott (13.4 ppg), senior guard B.J. Viau (10.4 ppg), sophomore point guard Tyler Nicolai (9.5 ppg), senior forward Alex McCoy (8.3 ppg), and senior guard Lonnie Robinson (7.6 ppg). Sophomore forward Anders Halvorsen is the first player off the bench (7.2 ppg).

MIAC Tournament Website

Gustavus Statistics

St. Thomas Statistics

Sam Paulson puts a shot up off the glass. (Photo Courtesy: Ryan Coleman, d3sports.com)

The Gustavus men’s basketball team outscored Saint John’s 8-0 in the last 3:43 to pull out a 71-68 come-from-behind victory in the first round of the MIAC playoffs on Monday night in Collegeville. The Gustie offense hit 57.1 percent of its shots from the floor, but it was the defense down the stretch that proved to be the difference in the contest. Gustavus, which improved to 13-13 overall, earned the right to face St. Thomas in the semifinal round on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in St. Paul.

Gustavus held onto a slim lead throughout the first half until Robert Schmidt and Jesse Van Sickle hit three-point baskets as part of an 8-1 run to put the Gusties ahead 26-16 with 7:57 remaining in the opening frame. The Johnnies answered back when they outscored Gustavus 13-2 over the next four minutes to grab their first lead of the contest at 29-28. Both squads traded baskets until a layup by Paulson in the final minute and a three-pointer by Dan Schmidtknecht at the buzzer gave the Gusties a 38-33 lead at halftime.

Gustavus battled to stay ahead of Saint John’s in the second half, but the Johnnies put together a 9-2 stretch that was capped off by an Andy Burns three-pointer to grab a 63-56 lead with 5:53 left on the clock.

Saint John’s clung to a five-point advantage at 68-63 before Schmidtknecht and Van Sickle hit consecutive baskets to pull the Gusties to within one point at 68-67 with 1:36 remaining in the game. Both teams missed shots on ensuing possession when Paulson hauled in a defensive rebound with 00:43 on the clock.

After a 30-second Gustavus timeout, Ryan McPartland scored the go-ahead layup to help the Gusties regain a 69-68 lead. The Johnnies came down the floor, got a shot off, but Schmidtknecht pulled down a key defensive rebound. Saint John’s committed two fouls before sending Gustavus to the foul line where Robert Schmidt nailed a pair of free throws. The Johnnies had one last attempt to tie the game, but Andrew Latzke’s three-pointer was off the mark as the Gusties posted the 71-68 road win.

Robert Schmidt and Sam Paulson led Gustavus with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Four other players contributed at least eight points in the win as the Gustie bench outscored the Saint John’s bench 21-10. The Johnnies were paced by Aaron Burtzel, who recorded 21 points and eight rebounds. Both teams shot well from the floor as Gustavus was 28-for-49 shooting at 57.1 percent and Saint John’s was 25-for-50 shooting at 50 percent.

Gustavus will now face St. Thomas in the MIAC semifinals on Wednesday night at Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul at 7:30 p.m. Saint John’s finished the season at 14-12 as Jim Smith was denied the 700th win of his career.

Box Score