NORTHFIELD, Minn. – In its first game in 386 days, the St. Olaf College men's basketball team returned to action by defeating Macalester College, 70-67, behind 16 points, four assists, and three steals from first year Connor Martin on Friday evening at Skoglund Center.

Martin's 16 points were a team-high for St. Olaf (1-0) and included a pair of free throws with two seconds remaining that gave the Oles a three-point lead. Out of the ensuing timeout, Macalester (0-1) threw the ball long but Niko Polydorou came away with a steal to seal the victory.

The game was St. Olaf's first in over a year since falling at Saint John's in the semifinals of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs on Feb. 27, 2020. It was also Senior Night for the Oles, who celebrated the career of Brendan Connolly with a video the team put together.



Martin's 16 points led a balanced scoring attack for St. Olaf, as Charlie Haff was the only other Ole in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds. Michael Meriggioli added nine, including a key three-point play down the stretch, and Carter Uphus had eight.

A three-point play by Meriggioli with 9:44 remaining gave St. Olaf the largest lead of the night at 54-45 with 9:44 remaining before Macalester went on a 10-0 run to take the lead back. First year Caleb Greer answered with a three-pointer for the Oles, as neither team led by more than three for the final 7:40.

The Scots grabbed a one-point lead, 65-64, with 3:57 to go following a three-point play by Caleb Williams, but the Oles responded with a jumper by Niko Polydorou to take the lead back for good. Five possessions later, Martin found Meriggioli for a layup with 1:17 on the clock to push St. Olaf's lead to 68-65.

The score remained 68-65 until Tyler McFarland knocked down two free throws with 4.5 seconds left to make it a one-point game again. After a pair of timeouts, St. Olaf got the ball into Martin's hands and he calmly sank a pair of free throws with less than two seconds left to help clinch the victory.

Williams and Henningfield combined for 20 points to help Macalester to a 36-33 halftime lead. The Oles' held the largest lead of the opening half at 17-10 midway through before the Scots rallied to take a lead at the break on a Williams three-pointer with 29 seconds left in the half.

Williams scored a game-high 21 and added nine rebounds for the Scots, which were also playing their first game since the 2019-20 season. Henningfield and Michael Poker each contributed 12 points for the visitors.

The meeting was the first of four consecutive matchups between the two teams, who are slated to meet again in St. Paul on Sunday, March 21 at 2 p.m.