The St. Thomas men’s basketball team rebounded from a recent defeat with an impressive 99-64 victory over Kansas City on March 15, 2024. The win marked a significant turnaround for the Tommies, who had lost their previous home game to North Dakota, ending a 28-game home winning streak.
St. Thomas dominated the game from the beginning, establishing a substantial lead that reached 27 points by halftime. An early surge, including a 15-2 run, propelled the team to a 20-8 advantage just over seven minutes into the match. From that point, St. Thomas maintained control, leaving Kansas City struggling to catch up.
Carter Bjerke was the standout performer, scoring a remarkable 30 points, predominantly through his shooting accuracy from beyond the arc. Bjerke achieved a historic milestone by sinking 10 three-pointers out of 14 attempts, tying the all-time single-game record for St. Thomas and marking the highest number recorded during the program’s Division-I era. His previous best was six triples, set last season. This season, Bjerke is now boasting an impressive shooting percentage of 46% from three-point range.
In addition to Bjerke’s performance, Nick Janowski contributed significantly with 16 points, shooting 6 for 9 from the field. Both Nolan Minessale and Jermaine Coleman also reached double figures, while Austin Herro facilitated the offense with eight assists. St. Thomas exhibited strong overall shooting, finishing the game with 56% accuracy from the floor. Notably, eight players secured at least three rebounds, highlighting the team’s collective effort on both ends of the court.
This victory improved St. Thomas’s overall record to 18-6, placing them at 7-2 in the Summit League, where they now sit in a tie for second place alongside North Dakota. They trail North Dakota State by two games as the season progresses.
On the other side, Kansas City continues to face challenges, suffering their eighth consecutive defeat. The team recently made headlines for hiring former Maryland coach Mark Turgeon, who will take over the program next season as they seek to turn their fortunes around. In this matchup, CJ Evans led Kansas City with 16 points, along with seven rebounds and four steals.
St. Thomas will look to build on this momentum when they face South Dakota State on March 18, 2024, in Brookings, South Dakota. With their recent performance, the Tommies are poised to make a strong push as the season heads into its final stretch.
