Guard John Veil shoots the first three-pointer of the game. Veil had 3 points against Saint John’s. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
The ref calls a follow on Saint John’s as Grant Shaeffer goes up for a layup. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Two St. Thomas students lead the student section in a rollercoaster cheer at halftime.
Head coach John Tauer yells in frustration after the ref called a foul on forward Tommy Anderson. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Forward Tommy Anderson goes up strong to score one for the Tommies. Anderson had 11 points for St. Thomas in its game against Saint Johns. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Forward Elijah Hannah shoots a free throw late in the second half. Hannah scored 9 points in Thursday night’s game. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Guard Michael Hannon cheers in excitement after hitting a key 3-pointer late in the second half. Hannon was 5-9 from the three point line. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
The St. Thomas men’s basketball team cheers in support from the bench after Hannon hit a three-pointer in the second half. Still, St. Thomas lost to Saint John’s 80-78 Thursday night. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Guard Grant Shaeffer shoots a jump shot over a Johnnie opponent. Shaeffer scored 21 points for the Tommies Thursday night. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Hannon floats one in for the Tommies. Hannon lead the team with 22 points against Saint John’s Thursday night. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Forward Connor Bair jumps in excitement as his name is announced as part of the starting lineup. Thursday night’s game was Bair’s first varsity start. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Forward Jordan Burich wins the tip-off for the Tommies. Burich had 9 rebounds for St. Thomas Thursday night. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Shaeffer looks down in disappointment at the conclusion of the game. St. Thomas lost by 2 points in the last seconds of the game Thursday night. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
After winning the tip-off and leading for the majority of the first half, the St. Thomas men’s basketball team fell to longtime rival Saint John’s in a devastating 80-78 loss Thursday night at Schoenecker Arena.
The Tommies (15-7 overall, 15-5 MIAC) missed a series of shots at the end of the first half allowing the Johnnies (19-8 overall, 13-7 MIAC) to start the second half with a 43-39 lead, giving them a momentum that would eventually lead to victory.
Despite falling to the Johnnies, the Tommies were able to regain momentum in the second half engaging in a back-and-forth battle following a 3-point shot by forward Tommy Anderson, which tied the game 63-63.
Although forward and No. 2-scorer Ryan Boll was sick and unable to play, head coach John Tauer was impressed with the fill in performances by the players off the bench.
“(They) filled in really admirably,” Tauer said. “We tried to piece that together and obviously it’s not what you draw up … I thought our young guys played well, but our veterans were great stabilizing forces.”
.
The game stayed tied until 2.3 seconds remained, when Johnnie guard Garrett Goetz scored a shot that cemented their victory.
For guard Michael Hannon, who finished the game as the top scorer with 22 points, the loss was heartbreaking.
“It hurts like hell to not come out on top,” Hannon said. “We battled, and I’m proud of all these guys.”
As a senior, guard Grant Schaeffer hopes that tonight’s loss won’t put an end to his St. Thomas basketball career.
“I hope this isn’t the end,” Shaeffer said. “But if it is, I’m proud.”
The national tournament will announce its pairings Monday morning, which will decide the fate of the Tommies’ 2016-2017 season.
Benton Johnson can be reached at bcjohnson@stthomas.edu