Men's Basketball 1/2/06 -- Augsburg 62, St. Thomas 59

BOXSCORE

ST. PAUL, Minn. (1/2/06) -- University of St. Thomas junior center Isaac Rosefelt (Jr., St. Paul, Minn./St. Thomas Academy HS) had a career-high 37 points and added 16 rebounds, but visiting Augsburg College (3-7 overall, 2-4 MIAC) held on for a 62-59 victory over No. 23-ranked St. Thomas (7-3 overall, 4-1 MIAC) Monday night in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball game in Schoenecker Arena.

Justin Koslowski (So., Wausau, Wis./Wausau Newman HS) scored 20 points and Dan Graf (Jr., Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) scored 18 points for the Auggies, who halted a nine-game losing streak to St. Thomas and handed the Tommies their first conference loss.

Augsburg, which is 0-4 at home this season, won its second MIAC road game under first-year head coach Aaron Griess.

UST remained atop the conference standings by one-half game over St. Mary's and idle St. John's, who are both 3-1 in the conference. Concordia and Gustavus both lost on the road Monday to take their second MIAC defeats.

Rosefelt, who scored 18 first-half points, made his first 11 shots and finished 16-of-19 from the field. UST junior guard Bryan Schnettler (Jr., Sartell, Minn.) added nine points and six rebounds, but made just 1-of-9 from 3-point range after sinking 12 treys in two victories last week.

The Tommies outrebounded Augsburg 41-28, but made just 3-of-19 from 3-point range to the Auggies' 7-of-16. After rallying from a 12-point deficit, the Toms were outscored 10-3 in a late six-minute stretch.

UST nearly forced overtime after trailing 61-53 with 34 seconds to play. Augsburg had a turnover and made just 1-of-4 free throws during a 6-1 UST run. Trailing 61-59, the Toms missed a tying shot with seven seconds to go. After the Auggies made 1-of-2 free throws with 4.5 seconds remaining, Sean Sweeney's (Sr., St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) potential tying three-point shot at the buzzer danced on the rim and fell off.

Koslowski scored 15 points early as the Auggies raced to a 24-14 lead. The Tommies pulled within 31-29 at halftime and led 35-34 with 15:24 to play. But three 3-point baskets fueled a 14-1 Auggie run that put the visitors in front 48-36 with 9:55 to go.

Sweeney's 3-pointer capped a 13-1 Tommie run that pulled St. Thomas to within 50-49 with 6:34 to go. But UST missed its next seven shots and trailed by eight in the closing minute before its comeback fell short.

Graf had six rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Auggies. Tait Thomsen (Jr., Prior Lake, Minn.) had seven points, while Kevin Keto (Jr., Forest Lake, Minn.) had six points, five rebounds and seven assists. Grant Hemmingsen (Jr., New Brighton, Minn./Mounds View HS) had five points and seven rebounds.

St. Thomas hosts St. John's on Wednesday (2/4) at 7:30 p.m., while Augsburg is off until Saturday (2/7) at 3:15 p.m., when it hosts Hamline at Si Melby Hall.