11/17/06

Junior Eric Langdon's jumper put the Saints ahead by one with only 45 seconds to play but a third-chance basket by Nebraska Wesleyan University with six ticks left sealed the deal on the Saints' season-opening 73-72 loss in the initial game of the Clearwire Classic at UW-Superior late Friday afternoon.

Neb. Wesleyan led the entire first half, once by as many as nine points, but the Saints whittled the lead to three to enter halftime down only 42-39.

The tight battle in the opening game of the season for each team continued into the second period with the Saints gaining their first lead of the game at 13:15 of the second half.

The lead see-sawed back and fourth for the next 13:09 until Langdon's jumper gave St. Scholastica what would be their final lead of the night.

Throughout the game, the Saints suffered troubles at the free throw line and behind the three-point arc, hitting only 35 percent from the charity stripe and 64 percent of their three-point attempts.

Meanwhile, NWU hit six of ten from the free throw line and shot a blistering 85 percent from three-point land.

Still, the two teams played a mostly even game. Each team snared 33 rebounds apiece, and the outcome wasn't decided until the Prairie Wolves (1-0) were able to grab the final three rebounds in the final 18 seconds and eventually sink the game-winner as time wound down to the buzzer.

Langdon led all players in the game with 16 points. St. Scholastica seniors Derek Johnson and William Maupins added 13 apiece and junior Brady Zubke chipped in with 11.

Maupins pulled down seven rebounds and added five assists to lead the Saints in each category.

St. Scholastica (0-1) continues play at the Clearwire Classic with a 6 p.m. Saturday night game against host UW-Superior, an 88-86 loser to Finlandia College in the other Friday evening game.