NORTHFIELD, Minn. – In a near must-win game, the St. Olaf College men's basketball cruised to an 88-54 victory over the College of St. Scholastica after shooting 56.3 percent from the field on Wednesday evening at Skoglund Center.

In its final game of the regular season, St. Olaf (14-11, 10-10 MIAC) eased to the victory over St. Scholastica (7-17, 6-13 MIAC) in a game the Oles led by double figures for the final 28:20 and had at least a 23-point lead for the entire second half. The win capped a regular season that saw St. Olaf split with every other Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) opponent.

With the victory, the Oles moved into sixth place – the final playoff spot – in the conference standings heading into the final day of the regular season on Saturday. Gustavus Adolphus College and Bethel University were both eliminated with losses on Wednesday night, narrowing the final spot down to either St. Olaf or Concordia-Moorhead based on tiebreakers yet to unfold.

First year Kobe Kirk exploded for a career-high 28 points – his first-career 20-point game – on 12-for-15 shooting to lead the way for St. Olaf and was 4-for-5 from three-point range, as the Oles were 9-for-16 (56.3 percent) from long distance as a team. Senior Michael Meriggioli recorded his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while fifth-year senior Nathan Hendler neared one of his own with 14 points, six rebounds, and a career-high nine assists.

St. Olaf owned a 43-25 advantage in rebounding in the game, including grabbing 14 offensive rebounds that led to 10 second-chance points. The Oles also doubled up the Saints in points in the paint by a 44-22 margin.

On a night that saw him knock down his first 10 field goals, Kirk was 7-for-7 from the field, including 3-for-3 from behind the arc, on his way to 17 first-half points to help St. Olaf to a 49-24 halftime lead. The 49-point first half nearly matched the Oles' output for the entire game in a 60-53 loss in Duluth on Jan. 16.

Kirk, Hendler, and Meriggioli combined for 40 of St. Olaf's 49 first-half points, as Hendler had 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the half and Meriggioli added 11 points and six rebounds. As a team, the Oles shot 21-for-34 (61.8 percent) over the opening 20 minutes while holding St. Scholastica to 9-for-24 (37.5 percent) from the field.

In the second half, St. Olaf's lead never dwindled below 23 points, as the Oles led by as many as 34 down the stretch. The Oles never trailed in the game and led for 39:06. Sophomore Joey Bruggers banked in a three-pointer with 1:02 remaining for his first points in a St. Olaf uniform and the final points of the game.

St. Olaf will await results from the final day of the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 18 to find out about its playoff fortune.