SAINT PAUL, MINN.--The Hamline University men's basketball team secured an 83-63 victory over St. Scholastica at Hutton Arena on Wednesday night.
The Pipers improve to 5-4, 2-1 MIAC, while the Saints fall to 3-6, 1-2 MIAC. Notably, Hamline is now 6-1 against St. Scholastica as MIAC members, showcasing their dominance in recent matchups.
Hamline 83, St. Scholastica 63
Hamline took an early lead with
Bradley Cimperman scoring the first basket and adding several more points through layups and free throws. Cimperman's performance was particularly noteworthy as his 12 points in the contest moved him into 14th on the Hamline career list with 1247 points, surpassing head coach
Jim Hayes' (1990-94) total of 1240. By the 17:31 mark, the Pipers were up 8-0, prompting the Saints to call a timeout. St. Scholastica's Koy Nelson broke the scoring drought with a layup, but Hamline continued to capitalize on turnovers, extending their lead to 14-3 with 14:12 remaining in the first half. St. Scholastica's Tanner Thomson and Kobe Karels connected on 3-pointers to narrow the gap, but Hamline maintained a steady offense, ending the half ahead 39-34.
The second half saw a dynamic shift as Hamline outscored St. Scholastica 44-29. Early in the half, St. Scholastica's Aaron Keykal scored a layup at 19:40 to cut the deficit to 39-36, but the Pipers quickly responded with
Daniel McCarrell's layup assisted by
Raoul Vaidya. Hamline then went on a run, highlighted by a series of successful plays from
Raoul Vaidya, including a 3-pointer and a layup, expanding their lead to 50-40 with 15:11 remaining. St. Scholastica's Kobe Karels hit a 3-pointer at 13:30, but the Pipers maintained control with consistent scoring from
Austin Holt and
Brock Donaldson, pushing the score to 76-54 with 4:45 left. The half closed with Hamline's
Dane DeDominces and
Blake Femrite contributing to a strong finish, securing an 82-60 advantage before Ian Larsen's final free throw for the Saints brought the score to 83-63.
A season-high .557 (34-of-61) field goal percentage and 13 steals where achieved by the Pipers, as well as an impressive 22 assists. St. Scholastica shot .413 (26-of-63) in the contest.
Daniel McCarrell demonstrated strong scoring ability with a team-high 16 points, making 7-of-11 shots, and contributed defensively with four steals.
Raoul Vaidya matched McCarrell's scoring output with 16 points and led the team with eight assists, showcasing his playmaking skills.
Ethan Wall-Atim made his presence felt defensively, recording two blocks in the game.
Bradley Cimperman was dominant on the boards, leading the squad with 10 rebounds, while also scoring 12 points.
Austin Holt also achieved a double-double, contributing 10 points and matching Cimperman's 10 rebounds, highlighting his effectiveness around the basket.
Aaron Keykal led the Saints with an impressive fourteen rebounds, contributing significantly to his sixteen points on seven of ten shooting. Kobe Karels was another standout, scoring sixteen points, including four 3-pointers out of five attempts. Tanner Thomson added eleven points, leading the team in baskets made and recording two steals. Jacquez Overstreet was active on defense with three steals, highlighting his contribution to the team's defensive efforts.
The Pipers will travel to UW-River Falls on Thursday, December 19 at 7 p.m.
