All
season long St. John's coaches, fans, and perhaps even his teammates have been
waiting for a game like this from Kassoum Yakwe. As a freshman last season there were several of
them for the 6'7" forward, including a game vs. Seton Hall at MSG where
his effort and rebounding helped the Johnnies nearly steal a win.
Last
night's 86-72 win over Marquette at the Garden was hardly stolen. It was in
fact a terrific all around effort that saw the Johnnies not only get strong
performances on the perimeter but lots of production inside. Bashir Ahmed
scored a career high 23 points and while that total included a pair of three
point baskets, he also drove hard for scores when St. John's, adjusting to a
zone defense by Marquette, had him flash into the middle take passes and drive
hard to the basket. He made several baskets
in traffic and when he got to the line he shot a perfect 5-5.
While
Ahmed provided punch in the paint for the second half, it was Ahmed who did so
particularly in the first 20 minutes and he did so in a way that looked
familiar to those who saw him last year; slipping ball screens and cutting to
the basket for finishes at the rim. The
difference between last season and this one may be that there are new perimeter
players getting him the ball and they needed time to develop chemistry.
Whatever the reason might be for Yakwe's
early season struggles, the difference last evening was immediately discernible
according to one of those guards Marcus LoVett.
"We're
definitely a different team when Kassoum is on fire like he was today and Bashir as well". Lovett
said. Head coach Chris Mullin offered another reason for Yakwe's sophomore
struggles, suggesting that Yakwe often playing as the only "big" on
the floor was a contributing factor. And while Yakwe filled the stat sheet with
14 points 6 rebounds and 3 blocks Coach Mullin was quick to point out the
contributions of the team's other big men, Tariq Owens and Darien Williams, who
did not score a single point but provided a solid defensive presence guarding
Marquette in the paint and were able to stay on the floor with Yakwe. Owens
pulled in a game high 11 rebounds for the Johnnies.
While the
good work inside may have provided the difference in the game, the perimeter
guys who have provided scoring punch all year were good as well. Shamorie
Ponds finished with 18 points and a team high 7 assists which included a
personal 7-0 first half closing run which gave the Johnnies a 45-37 edge at the
half. Lovett added 17 and 5 helpers. On
the defensive end, St. John's effectively limited three of Marquette's key
scorers. Sophomore Haanif Cheatham, senior Luke Fischer and freshman Marcus
Howard all entered the game with double digit scoring averages for the Golden
Eagles and all were held under those numbers while graduate transfer and three
point shooting specialist Katin Reinhardt was held to just three points, making
one triple in five tries.
Coach
Mullin called this his team's most complete effort of the season, and indeed it
was thanks to terrific play at both ends of the floor and terrific balance on
offense. In what has been a season full of excitement and exasperation for St.
John's fans, 5 league wins with 7 games to go is certainly a sign of progress,
and hopefully a sign of things to come.
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