MINNEAPOLIS — Junior guard Riley Miller took advantage of the Auggies zone defense and carried the Tommies to a 81-70 victory over Augsburg University with 20 points and six 3-pointers Saturday at Si Melby Hall Gymnasium, keeping the Tommies undefeated and at the top of the MIAC standings.
Of the 32 field goals the Tommies (4-0 overall, 3-0 MIAC) attempted in the first half, 25 were 3-pointers and 12 of them fell. All six of Miller’s three’s came in the first half.
“It felt great, especially coming off St. John’s on Wednesday where they didn’t give me a lot of open looks,” Miller said. “It’s a little different but that’s what we kind of expected going into a zone.”
Miller only had two points in the second half but junior guard Anders Nelson filled the void with 18 points.
“I think that’s part of the beautiful thing about them (Miller and Nelson) in the back court is they don’t really care who scores,” coach John Tauer said.
St Thomas has defeated Augsburg (2-3 overall, 1-3 MIAC) in four straight meetings dating back to 2019.
Leading rebounder for the Tommies coming into the contest, junior forward Parker Bjorklund, sat out with a boot on his foot after Tauer said he “got a little banged up” in practice Friday.
In his first career start, sophomore forward Will Engels picked up the slack for Bjorklund grabbing 12 rebounds and converting on all six of his field goal attempts.
“Parker went down in practice so I knew that I had to step up for the guys,” Engels said. “I just wanted to play my part: crash the glass, take care of the basketball and make my open shots when I get the opportunity.”
Senior guard Nick Christianson and sophomore forward Brooks Allen stepped up off the bench and each scored their first points of the season.
“Brooks Allen and Nick Christianson, two really hard working teammates got a chance and I was really pleased with how they did today,” Tauer said.
St. Thomas controlled a double digit lead the last 24 minutes of the game.
“There are things we can clean up but I think we feel really good about our veterans, just how they take care of the ball and they understand time and score,” Tauer said.
St. Thomas will travel to Collegeville on Wednesday to take on St. John’s for the second time in seven days.
Joey Swanson can be reached at swan5350@stthomas.edu.