SUPERIOR, Wis. – Saint John's pulled away from the UW-Superior men's basketball team in the second half for a 67-45 victory in the championship game of the 11th-annual Merrill Thompson Classic, sponsored by National Bank of Commerce.
 
The Yellowjackets trailed by a 34-23 margin at halftime before the Johnnies outscored UWS 33-22 in the second half on the way to the tournament title.
 
Junior Xavier Patterson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) scored a team-high 10 points and classmate Josef Fahrenholtz (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) grabbed 11 rebounds for the second consecutive game to lead UWS. Superior was held to just 33.3 percent shooting, including 29 percent in the second half.
 
Sophomore Josh Reinertsen (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) cut the SJU advantage to 15-11 nine minutes into the game with a jumper, assisted by J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel). Later, Eli Vogel (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West) hit a jumper in the paint to pull his team within 21-18. It looked as though the 'Jackets would keep the deficit to single digits at halftime before Cole Codute hit a half-court heave at the buzzer for the 11-point margin.
 
Saint John's (2-0) gradually increased its advantage in the second half, leading by as many as 22 late in the game.  
 
Ryan Thissen paced the Johnnies with 18 points and eight rebounds.
 
Next up, the Yellowjackets (1-1) host St. Norbert Saturday. Tip off at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium is set for 1 p.m.