SUPERIOR, Wis. – The St. Olaf College men's basketball team suffered an 82-54 loss to UW-Superior on day two of the Merrill Thompson Classic on Saturday afternoon at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium.

UW-Superior (1-1) shot 35-for-59 (59.3 percent) from the field on its way to topping St. Olaf (1-1) in the first meeting between the two programs since Dec. 29, 2015. The Yellowjackets scored 60 of their 82 points in the paint and turned 19 turnovers by the Oles into 25 points.

Junior Kobe Kirk scored a game-high 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting for St. Olaf but was the lone Ole in double figures in the game. First year Giorgos Siotas added seven points and five rebounds, while first year Luther Tostrud hit 2-of-3 three-pointers to provide six points off the bench.

Fifteen Yellowjackets scored in the game, led by 14 points from J'Vaun Walker. Reid Johnson (13), Joey Barker (10), and Andrew Kunelius (10) all joined Walker in double figures for the hosts, who shot over 56.0 percent in both halves.

Five early points from Kirk had St. Olaf within three at 11-8 five minutes in, but UW-Superior scored the game's next eight points to build a double-figure lead at 19-8 midway through the half. The Yellowjackets pushed their lead to as many as 20 in the opening half before a five-point burst from Kirk in the final minute to help make it a 38-22 game at the break. Kirk had 14 of St. Olaf's 22 first-half points.

In the second half, the Oles were never able to get closer than the 16-point halftime differential and trailed by as many as 31. St. Olaf was just 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) from three-point range after the break, compared to 5-for-8 (62.5 percent) for UW-Superior.

Next weekend, St. Olaf will head to Wartburg College for the Buzz Levick Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15-16. The Oles will take on the host Knights in a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Friday.