Guard Zach Smith scored 28 points as the Hamline Pipers knocked off the No. 21-ranked St. Thomas men’s basketball team 74-61 Wednesday at Schoenecker Arena.
The Pipers (4-3 overall, 1-2 MIAC) led the Tommies (4-3 overall, 1-2 MIAC) for the majority of the game, with the biggest Tommie lead coming at 12-8 approximately nine minutes in.
Hamline then went on a 19-5 run to regain a lead it would not relinquish and led at halftime 33-24.
“We didn’t play well enough to win,” St. Thomas coach John Tauer said. “Hamline made some big shots and had a great game plan.”
In the second half, the Tommies did not cut the lead to fewer than five points, thanks in large part to Smith who had 20 of his 28 points after halftime.
With 2:07 to go and a 63-56 lead, Smith made a difficult shot over Tommie guard Grant Shaeffer.
After Shaeffer missed consecutive three-point attempts on the other end, Smith used a screen to drive to left of the basket and pass to forward Dylan See-Rockers who finished the layup, pushing the Piper lead to 67-56 and essentially icing the game with just under a minute to go.
“(Smith) is a very dynamic player who is quick with a nice mid-range shot,” Tauer said. “He was a big part of Hamline’s success tonight,” Tauer said.
Forward Ryan Boll lead the Tommies with 21 points.
Guards Grant Shaeffer and Michael Hannon each finished in double-digits with 10 points apiece.
“Losses aren’t fun to learn from but the beauty of sports is that you get feedback everyday on what you do well and what you don’t,” Tauer said. “While tonight isn’t fun feedback to get, our guys are hard-working and diligent, and I think they will rise to the challenge.”
Next up for the Tommies is a matchup with St. John’s at 3 p.m. Saturday.
While disappointed with the loss, Tauer believes his team is excited to get back on the court for Tommie-Johnnie.
“It’s phenomenal rivalry,” Tauer said. “They’ve got a very explosive team so it should be a lot of fun.”
Taylor Smith can be reached at smit9660@stthomas.edu.