SAINT BONIFACIUS, Minn. – Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) competitions continued Wednesday for the Yellowjacket men's basketball team, as they hit the road to face Crown College. The 'Jackets, who have dropped their last two contests face a Polars squad who recently squashed a three-game losing streak after taking down Northwestern 94-91.
As the league hits the halfway mark of its season, the top six teams feature similar overall and conference records, setting the table for an entertaining second half leading up to the postseason tournament.
Superior caught its second wind past the midway point of the first half, jumping out to a 37-21 lead heading into halftime. The second half saw the Polars attempt to claw their way back, but it was too late as the Yellowjackets snapped their two-game losing skid with a 70-56 win.
Game Notes
- Both squads traded blows early in the game with Yellowjacket points coming from Reid Johnson (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) and J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel). Shortly after subbing into the contest, Johnson sent a pass to Slayton Stroschein (Alborn, Minn./South Ridge) and he drilled a shot beyond the arc to give the 'Jackets a 12-8 lead.
- Stroschein finished a layup after once again receiving a feed from Johnson shortly after. At the halfway point of the half, Crown brought the game within two points at 18-16 before the Yellowjackets found its stride and poured it on offensively.
- Andrew Kunelius (Caledonia, Minn./Caledonia) got the offense going with a jumper inside the paint before Rocco Paulson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) would grab his own rebound and tip the pumpkin back in. A steal-and-score from Walker led to Johnson hit a trey before Paulson logged points from the charity strip and inside the paint.
- With missed points and turnovers from the Polars, Superior led by as much as 19 points, going into the break with a 16-point margin and limiting Crown to 6 percent from three-point range.
- UWS maintained its lead in the opening minutes of the second, as the trio of Walker, Barker and Andrew Beers (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) kept the Polars at bay. Johnson began to heat up and complete shots beyond and within the arc, leading the scoring for Superior as they emerged victorious by 14 points.
- Johnson logged 26 points with three assists and rebounds, pacing the 'Jackets once again. Walker followed with 18 points, six assists and five steals.
- Paulson grabbed a team-high seven boards in the contest.
- With the win, the 'Jackets jumped to third place in UMAC standings, trailing Bethany Lutheran and Northwestern.
The Yellowjackets will now set their sights to North Central, as they see action Saturday at 3 p.m. inside the Clark-Danielson Gymnasium in Minneapolis.
