After the Tommies’ 28-game home winning streak was snapped by North Dakota on Thursday, a new streak started Sunday in St. Paul.
St. Thomas blitzed Kansas City 99-64 at home to get back on track. The Tommies led by 27 at halftime.
An early 15-2 run by the Tommies pushed their advantage to 20-8 just more than seven minutes into the game, and St. Thomas didn’t look back from there.
Carter Bjerke powered the offense with 30 points, all on the strength of 10 made triples. He went 10 for 14 from beyond the arc. That number tied the St. Thomas all-time single game record and is the most in the program’s Division-I era.
Bjerke’s previous single-game high was six, recorded last season. The forward is now shooting 46% from distance this season
Nick Janowski scored 16 points on 6 for 9 shooting. Nolan Minessale and Jermaine Coleman also both scored in double figures, while Austin Herro tallied eight assists. St. Thomas shot 56% from the floor.
Eight players grabbed at least three boards for St. Thomas.
The win pulled the Tommies (18-6 overall, 7-2 in Summit) into a tie for second in the conference with North Dakota, two games back of North Dakota State.
Kansas City (4-19, 1-8 in Summit) — which has now lost eight straight games — made a newsy splash of its own Sunday with the hiring of former Maryland coach Mark Turgeon. Turgeon, who last coached in 2021, will take over Kansas City’s program next season.
CJ Evans led Kansas City with 16 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
St. Thomas next plays South Dakota State on Wednesday in Brookings, S.D.
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