Powell and the Pirates Survive a Scare From St. John's 82-79

    Myles Powell scored 23 of his game-high 29 points in the second half and lead Big East leader Seton Hall to an 82-79 come from behind win over St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Saturday

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  “I’m not into moral victories”, St. John’s coach Mike Anderson said. “We lost a game at home and that’s gotta hurt but at the same time I thought our guys played against a very good opponent in Seton Hall and gave ourselves a chance.”

    For much of the game in fact, the Johnnies did much more than give themselves a chance. After trading baskets in the game’s opening moments, St. John’s went to work. Leading 28-27 following a Powell 3-pointer they closed the half on a 15-3 run. While LJ Figueroa scored 6 of his points during that stretch the rally was actually begun in earnest by terrific work from Josh Roberts who converted to rim running baskets first off a pass from Nick Rutherford and then on a fast break he started with a blocked shot and then finished with a great run and a great play fielding a tough pass from Rasheem Dunn for a terrific finish.  During that rally St. John’s pressure defense was also in full force and despite the Pirates’ experienced back court forced 15 first half turnovers and lead 43-30 at the intermission. A strong shooting start from both Figueroa and Mustapha Heron was complimented by what was easily Roberts’ best performance in conference play. He  finished with a career high 16 points and added 8 boards.

   The two teams traded baskets as the second half began as Roberts continued to be a forceful presence around the rim and some early pressure by Seton Hall helped loosen things up a bit for Myles Cale and Powell who scored his 2000^th career point on a steal and bucket early in the second half. The Hall’s improved second half offense included two long jumpers from Cale, one from the corner and one from the wing that were initially ruled 2-point baskets but changed to 3’s after video review. Pirates’ center Ramaro Gill who may be the Big East’s most improved player made his presence felt at the rim finishing with 14 points 13 boards and 6 blocked shots.

   The Pirates pulled to within 54-53 on a jumper by reserve guard Anthony Nelson with 12:41 remaining, tied matters at 56 moments later and took their first lead at 61-58 on a triple by Powell. The two teams traded leads for the next several minutes in a stretched that culminated in a hoop and harm three-point play by Powell that put the Pirates up by two followed by a quick aggressive drive by Dunn that tied the game again at 75. A Quincy McKnight free throw gave the Pirates the lead and then, following a St. John’s turnover Powell hit a driving layup to give them a 78-75 advantage. From there free throws by Cale and McKnight for the Hall and baskets by Dunn and Marcellus Earlington set the stage for a chance to tie the game at 82 for the Johnnies. But when Dunn lost the dribble off his foot, Earlington put up a desperation shot that fell harmlessly short.

Notes and Observations: The win gave Seton Hall the school’s first 6-0 start ever in Big East play. St. John’s dropped to 1-5 in the league and 12-7 overall.  The game honored the memory of Howard Garfinkel the late founder of the famed 5-Star Basketball Camps and High School Basketball Illustrated, which he published with co-founder Tom Konchalski until 1985 when he sold the publication to his long time partner, whom he recognized as perhaps the greatest evaluator of talent basketball has ever seen. Garf’s camps, with the help of coaches like Bobby Knight and Hubie Brown, pioneered many of the skill and team development techniques that are used by coaches around the world.

St. John's And Coach Anderson Earn First Big East Win Over DePaul 74-67

       Just as he had been for St. John’s Garden win against West Virginia on December 7^th, Rasheem Dunn proved to be a difference maker.  This time however, the circumstances were a little different and decidedly more urgent.

                They were different because on Saturday against DePaul Dunn was making his first start for the Johnnies, and they were urgent because he and his teammates were coming off three straight Big East losses. In fact, both teams came into Madison Square Garden looking for their first conference wins, and it was DePaul who sprinted to an early 13-7 lead behind early inside work by Jaylen Butz and terrific penetration by Kansas transfer Charlie Moore, who was a thorn in the Red Storm’s side from start to finish. Whether he was creating scoring chances for himself (14 points) or for others (12 assists) his ability to get into the lane was the one part of DePaul’s offense that St. John’s could not solve.

   After DePaul’s quick start, the Johnnies began to find their footing, and the effects of the lineup change began to show themselves. Creating a 3-guard look by starting Dunn in place of freshman forward Julian Champagnie had a positive effect on the lineup that went well beyond what was Dunn’s best outing; a season high 18-points, a team high 9 rebounds and 5 assists with just three turnovers.

    Perhaps the biggest benefactor of the lineup change was senior Mustapha Heron, who found himself repeatedly in matchups where he could use his quickness against DePaul’s power forwards. And to his credit he mixed things up beautifully; at times creating space for 3-point tries (he made 3 of 6 attempts) and at times getting to the rim (for one field goal and a perfect 4-4 from the line). He finished with 14 points including 8 of the team’s final 11 points in the first half and sent St. John’s to intermission with a 39-34 advantage. He then added 5 more in the opening moments of the second half to extend the lead to 45-34.

   St. John’s lead by 10 with 12:30 left when DePaul used a 6-0 spurt capped by a Moore bank shot to cut the lead to 53-49 a minute later. That’s when the player most directly affected by the lineup change, Champagnie, scored 4 of his 11 points during a 9-1 St. John’s run that gave St. John’s its largest lead at 62-50 with just over 8 minutes to go. DePaul would close that margin to within 5 in the game’s final moments but free throws by Greg Williams and LJ Figueroa provided the finishing touches for a much-needed win for St. John’s and coach Mike Anderson’s first Big East Conference win.

Notes and Observations: St. John’s allowed DePaul just 3 treys in 15 tries after allowing 28 of them in 3 conference losses. They forced 23 turnovers while committing just 8, perhaps another affect of the lineup change. It helped offset a 41-30 rebounding disadvantage for the Johnnies. Anderson continued to lament his team’s inability to finish games and play with a lead. If I may use a football metaphor to describe the problem, St. John’s is struggling to play at times when they need basketball’s equivalent to “4 minute offense”; that point in the game when they have a working margin and want to take time off the clock while continuing to try and score. The late contested shots and turnovers during that stretch nearly cost the Johnnies but some key defensive plays by Marcellus Earlington, who finished with 4 steals, and Williams helped them secure the win. In addition to his 11 points Champagnie had 4 rebounds 3 assists. St. John’s heads to Providence on Wednesday. Start time is 8:30 pm.

Xaverian Holds off Young Terriers for 3rd Straight League win 64-51

     Strong first and third quarters which helped Xaverian build an early working margin helped them stave off a young and talented St. Francis Prep squad 64-51 in Bay Ridge last night.  The win marked the third straight in league play and the sixth straight overall for the Clippers and followed a pattern which they have demonstrated throughout this season.

    Led by their terrific perimeter trio of junior guards Shaun Fulcher and Nick Folk as well as senior guard Billy Reyes, Xaverian sprinted to a 21-10 lead. The ball movement was sharp and Reyes stroked a pair of long triples before changing things up by driving to the basket for a deuce.  Shaun Fulcher, who is just beginning to find his form after missing time with a hand injury had a triple of his own while Folk, who struggled with his normally reliable shot before hitting a game winner vs.         Loughlin on December 15^th was back to his old reliable self. 

    In the second quarter St. Francis began to find the range. Improving 6’3” junior Todd Rochelle and 6’3” sophomore Latiek Briscoe helped St. Francis slice the margin to 32-27 at the half. Briscoe showed a complete scoring arsenal for such a young player; rising up and shooting the ball from deep and from middle distance, and making plays at the rim showing great explosiveness for such a young player.

   The third quarter saw Xaverian pull away again. Using strong outside shooting and good work protecting the rim from Elijah Hardison the Clippers opened a 21-point margin in the third stanza.  Fulcher, who had a strong game from start to finish, was particularly good as a playmaker in that quarter; setting up plays for Folk and Reyes that required not only his speed and passing ability but good patience and, for lack of a better word, feel for when to pull the trigger on a play. And while there would be some uncharacteristic sloppiness from the Clippers that would help the Terriers close the gap again in the final period, they no doubt hope that those moments diminish as Fulcher, their point guard and leader rounds into shape.

            St. Francis would trim the lead to six on a rally capped when they ran Briscoe off a baseline screen and he drained a left corner triple. Xaverian made just enough plays and just enough free throws to win a game that was much closer and well contested than the final margin indicated. Xaverian continues to round into form while the young St. Francis Prep team continues to grow with experience and could prove to be a tough out down the stretch and in the playoffs. Reyes led the Clippers with 18 points while Folk added 17 and Fulcher 15. For St. Francis Briscoe tied for game high honors with 18 points while Rochelle added 12.