Earlington's Blue Collar Effort Leads St. Johns Over Albany

            Reserve forward Marcellus Earlington came off the bench to score 16 points and grab 9 rebounds as he and other members of what coach Mike Anderson refers to as the team’s “blue collar group” lifted St. John’s past Albany 85-57 at Carnesecca Arena last night.

     Whether they start like center Josh Roberts or come off the bench like Earlington, they have provided energy and a physical toughness for this year’s team that raised its record to 10-2 thanks largely to the 24 turnovers they forced and the 30-point margin (54-24) by which they controlled the paint.  That effort helped them find needed scoring punch that helped them offset the absence of second leading scorer Mustapha Heron who missed the game with an ankle injury.

     Freshman forward Julian Champagne helped St. John’s get started by scoring 12 of his 14 points in the game’s first 7 minutes. St. John’s roared back from an early 8-3 deficit and countered with a 21-0 run to gain quick control of the game. “Our effort was good all night. At one point it {the score} was 22-4 and we had 18 straight stops,” he said. 

   Albany was able to regain some traction thanks to some lapses in execution but Anderson helped them regain their focus quickly. They lead 35-22 at the intermission and extended that margin to 20 points with just over 14 minutes to go in the second half.

    Earlington helped lead a second half charge that pushed the lead to as many as 30 points. Six of his 9 rebounds came off the offensive glass as he used what coach Anderson called his “great pair of hands” to secure rebounds and finish plays around the basket. “I’m thankful for the opportunity”, Earlington said of his new found playing time.  “This offseason I prided myself on getting better in every aspect of the game. Mike {Anderson} and the other coaches have put the confidence in me to just play my game…just being out there to help my team win is good”, he said.

     Perhaps Coach Anderson and his staff’s greatest success this season has been to instill that confidence not just in Earlington but in the team as a whole. Tough challenges lay ahead beginning with Arizona on Saturday and the Big East schedule to follow. The one thing fans can count on from this team is that they’ll play for each other and with everything they have.

Notes And Observations: Earlington’s 16 points led 4 Johnnies in double figures. Champagnie added 14 Rasheem Dunn added 10 and Greg Williams 11. Williams’ emergence as a consistent contributor continues as he not only brought the defensive energy, he always brings but contributed a trio of 3-point baskets on a night when the team shot just 6-21 from beyond the arc. Turnovers (19 of them) continue to be a concern for the Johnnies and while coach Anderson took responsibility for some of that “…. I play a lot of guys” he knows the team must cut down on those to be a consistent winner once league play begins.  For Albany sophomore and Beacon N.Y. native Malachi DeSousa who prepped at South Kent (CT) School finished with a game high 22 points.

Xaverian Starts Fast And Hangs on for a win vs. Tough Bishop Loughlin

     Junior guard Nick Folk hit a driving bank shot with 16.5 seconds left.  He was fouled on the play and the subsequent free throw gave Xaverian the lead for good and they survived a hard-fought battle and earned a tough 63-59 win over Bishop Loughlin in Bay Ridge yesterday.

     The first half of the Sunday clash nearly mirrored Xaverian’s tough loss to Iona Prep on Friday.  Just as they had against the Gaels they used hot outside shooting to sprint out of the gate. Billy Reyes who finished with a game high 23 points, connected on three triples and a long 2 as the Clippers put a 12 spot on the board before Loughlin broke the ice. Combined with some good early work from senior center Eli Hardison, they had a 21-4 lead after the first 8 minutes.

     The Clippers did not handle the early prosperity well, and the Lions took advantage behind their two terrific senior guards Taj Childs and Maurice Doby. They moved the ball smartly and when they weren’t scoring themselves they were setting up teammates for easy hoops. The Lions outscored the Clippers 20-6 and were it not for a late triple by soph Miles Supreme the Clippers may have squandered the entire first quarter lead. Instead they held a 27-23 margin as the 2^nd half began.

    On Friday Iona Prep was able to pull away quickly but Sunday the Clippers responded with clutch play. Shawn Fulcher scored 7 of his 10 points for the game in the third quarter; including one of his two treys for the game and two pull up mid-range shots. He closed the period with a tough contested jumper and gave his team a 44-39 going into the final stanza.

 Fulcher’s good work helping the Clippers regain some traction set the stage for an ultra-competitive last 8 minutes. The Lions did a terrific job playing with poise on the road. They tied the game at 47 with under a minute to go and took the lead in the closing moments prior to Folk’s winning basket. The drive and finish was a surprising ending in part because it came during an uncharacteristically quiet game for one of the city’s best marksmen. He was held scoreless in the first half and Loughlin did a terrific job contesting every look he had. In a scramble situation where the ball appeared to be deflected to him, he calmly drove and made a tough shot through contact; and in doing so helped the Clippers avoid a second upset at home. The Clippers got a badly needed early season win while the Lions, who many figured to be in a rebuilding season following heavy graduation losses, let the rest of the league know that teams that don’t bring a great effort against them will be in for a surprise. The parity in the CHSAA “AA” division will make for great competition and great basketball this season.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Iona Prep Earns Road Win at Xaverian 57-55

    Sophomore R.J. Greene finished with a game high 23 points and classmate Isaac Gonzalez added 15 to lead Iona Prep to an impressive 57-55 road win over Xaverian last night.

     With the Gaels trailing by 4, Greene hit a long three-point basket to close the first half and draw his team to within 30-29 as they headed into intermission. They then blitzed the Clippers with an 8-0 burst out of the locker room that included 2 triples by Greene and Aidan Hilderbrand sandwiched around a tough drive by senior Keyshawn Jones. They outscored the Clippers 20-7 in the third period to take a 12-point lead into the final quarter. Early buckets by Greene and Jones pushed the margin to as many as 14 points before Xaverian could regain the traction they lost in what was ultimately a decisive third period. They rallied behind Nick Folk who finished with a team high 17 points and Billy Reyes who added 13 to pull to within 2 points with 2.5 seconds left. They then ran a bit of mis-direction to get Folk a look at corner trey but Folk rushed the shot and the Gales had their big win.

   While Iona Prep’s archrival Stepinac is considered by many to be a prohibitive favorite the Gaels demonstrated that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the New York Archdiocese and the CHSAA.  R.J. Greene showed terrific scoring ability at all 3 levels while Gonzalez played with tremendous poise from start to finish; making sure to get Greene and his teammates involved but showing a fine scoring touch in his own right. Add in senior Jones, whose 8 points all came at key times and Hilderbrand who overcame early foul trouble to help the early 3^rd quarter rally and Iona Prep has the makings of a terrific core.  That plus a number of other players who did not contribute big numbers but played a key part in what was a strong defensive effort in the second half and the Gales have the look of a young team that’s already strong and figures to get better as the season progresses.

       Xaverian, who were coming off an impressive tournament win in Maryland last weekend, had gotten off to a hot-shooting start behind Folk and Reyes but seemingly could not sustain the energy they played with in the first period. Once Iona Prep, lead by Greene found their rhythm on offense they made a strong 1^st half close and then established and sustained a comfortable margin until the game’s closing moments.  Perhaps the best news for the Clippers is the quick return to action they will make on Sunday against Bishop Loughlin. Iona’s win was impressive to be sure and the Clippers got a reminder of how tough league play can be in the CHSAA.

Dunn's Return Engagement Helps Make Anderson's Garden Debut a Success

  Although much of the hype in the St. John’s Twittersphere about Saturday’s match-up surrounded Mike Anderson’s Garden debut, it was a guy making a return engagement who became the star.

   In March of 2016  Rasheem Dunn had made his own triumphant visit to MSG, where he teamed with former Johnnie Shamorie Ponds to cap a PSAL title run for Thomas Jefferson High. Fast-forward 3 years and a circuitous basketball journey that took him to Remsen Street in Brooklyn (St. Francis College) to Cleveland State and a protracted transfer battle with the NCAA, and there he was again on the court at MSG; wearing a different jersey, surrounded by new teammates, but still making plays and at the end of the Johnnies 70-68 win over former Big East foe West Virginia making winning plays.

    West Virginia had rallied from a 9-point deficit with jus under 4-1/2 minutes left and tied the game at 68 on a 3-pointer by Sean McNeil.  On St. John’s next possession Nick Rutherford was blocked on a drive during St. John’s next possession and West Virginia missed a chance to win the game. And that’s where Dunn went to work. First, he stripped Derek Culver of an offensive rebound and gave St. John’s their own chance for a final shot. Out of a time out he then took the inbounds pass, drove around two screens from a “horns” set (double high post) got a shot away through contact and drew a foul. Looking every bit like a guy who had been there before he drained two free throws to provide the margin of victory. Then, after Dunn had handled much of the game’s closing moments perfectly, it was up to the 5 on the floor to put the finish touch on a win with a perfect defensive possession. They forced Miles McBride up the left side and did a perfect job of contesting a difficult three point shot as time expired; getting a hand up without fouling.

    Dunn’s late game heroics and his ability to get to the rim all game long were thorns in the side of Bob Huggins and his team from start to finish but there were many heroes who played key roles for St. John’s LJ Figueroa scored all 17 of his points in the first 20 minutes; several them coming thanks simply to his shot making ability when St. John’s appeared stifled and stagnant on offense. Dunn and fellow point guard Nick Rutherford combined for 24 points 7 of the Johnnies 15 steals and made 10 of 11 free throw tries, helping their team to a 22-5 advantage from the line. As a team the Johnnies shot 22-27 from the line while West Virginia shot 5-12.

  As they have all season long the bench provided energy and toughness. Marcellus Earlington’s numbers may have been modest (4 points and 5 boards) but he helped St. John’s compete against a WVU team that had significant height and strength advantages inside and helped them survive early foul trouble from Josh Roberts, who came on strong in the second half finishing with a team high 9 rebounds. Last but certainly not least, sophomore guard Greg Williams junior gave St. John’s 17 terrific minutes of defensive energy, fearless basket attacking and a shot-clock beating three-pointer that was even more impressive because he had the awareness to make the play even though he had spent much of the game on the bench.  Indeed, coach Anderson has patiently found minutes for Williams as he rounds into game shape following a pre-season back injury and this game could prove to be the start of a big payoff for that patience. In a game that, as the coach suggested “came down to toughness…” he was able to find it not just from one or two guys but from his entire team. With great help from them and a great return engagement from Dunn, coach Anderson’s Garden debut was a smash.

Notes And Observations: Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this win for St. John’s was that they found a way to get it despite being outshot from the floor overall and from beyond the arc. They forced 22 turnovers while committing 14 and had three players in double figures. Figueroa led the way with 17 while Dunn added 13 and Nick Rutherford added 11. With the win St. John’s moves to 8-2 on the season while West Virginia suffered their first loss and moved to 7-1. Talented 6’10” sophomore Derek Culver had 12 points and a game high 18 rebounds for the Mountaineers.

St. John's Starts Strong Then Hangs on for win vs. St. Peter's

      For a bit over 30 minutes, St. John’s had played some of its best basketball of the season in what would ultimately be a 79-69 win over St. Peter’s. Effective ball movement and unselfishness to the tune of 24 assists on their 29 total field goals helped St. John’s establish and extend an early lead and they looked like a team that was more than ready for its Madison Square Garden debut on Saturday.

     For the first time in several games both Mustapha Heron and LJ Figueroa were scoring consistently. Combine that with a first career double double from Julian Champagnie and the Johnnies appeared well on their way to what looked like an easy win.  They had sprinted to a 28-6 lead early in the game behind a hot shooting start from Champagnie, whose 8 quick points included a pair of 3-pointers, who combined with Figueroa and Heron to send St. John’s into the intermission with a 37-23 advantage. They stretched that margin to 25 points when reserve David Caraher, who played well again off the bench, connected on a long triple with 8:10 left in the game.

    The Johnnies would eventually secure the win but it would not come as easily as their performance early in the game indicated it should have.

     Shaheen Holloway’s Peacocks roared back with a 19-2 spurt beginning with 6:32 left in the game; a rally that was interrupted only by a quick transition basket by Champagnie. St. Peter’s got terrific work during the rally from a number of young players who prepped locally. On the perimeter, freshman Aaron Estrada (St. Benedict’s Prep) was solid from start to finish and particularly strong in the second half finished the game with a team high 18 points and added 5 assists with just a single turnover.

   Most troublesome for St. John’s coach Mike Anderson was the damage St. Peter’s was able to do on the offensive glass. While the overall rebound margin for St. Peter’s was small (44-40) their total included 23 offensive boards. It’s worth noting that St. Peter’s was well represented locally in the paint as well as on the perimeter. Freshman brothers Fousseyni and Hassan Drame who hail from Mali and prepped at Our Savior New American School on Long Island combined for 13 points and 9 boards while senor transfer Derrick Woods, a Trenton native who attended Pennsbury High School finished with 6 points and 7 boards. Though the numbers look modest, coach  Anderson described how the impact of those guys went well beyond the numbers.

“They took the fight to us at times, Anderson said of St. Peter’s.  “From my vantage point we’ve got to learn to get multiple stops. During that time, they got more aggressive.  They started getting to all the loose balls and hanging around. All of a sudden the ball started bouncing their way…”

  The Peacocks run closed St. John’s margin 75-69 with 1:05 left in the game. From there the Johnnies got one of the defensive stops coach Anderson was looking for. Figueroa then sank 4 free throws to provide the final margin.

    As St. John’s heads into Saturday they know they must be better at what coach Anderson called “the finishing parts of basketball”, he said referring to the finishing part of defensive possessions, rebounding. Part of the test on Saturday will be that Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins’ teams do those “finishing parts of basketball” as well as any in the country. Time will tell whether St. John’s is ready not only for their Garden debut,but for what is surely a step up in basketball weight class as well.

Notes and Observations: In a bit of happy coincidence Champagnie’s first career double double (14 points 11 boards) came with long time Loughlin coach and former St. Peter’s coach Bob Leckie in the audience. He served as a Lions’ assistant during Julian’s time there and coached St. Peter’s from 2001-06. With the win St. John’s raised its record to 7-2 while St. Peter’s dropped to 1-4 with the loss.

Strong First Half Helps St. John's Roll Past Wagner

     Mustapha Heron scored 13 of his game high 18 points to help propel St. John’s to a dominant first half as they cruised past Wagner 86-63 at Carnesecca Arena Saturday afternoon.   Perhaps the single best of many good things for St. John’s in the win was that none of the rust that a team typically occurs when a team has 6 days off was in evidence in the opening 20 minutes. The ball and player movement on offense was crisp, the activity on defense was sustained from start to finish and finally, led by Heron’s 5-7 from the floor, St. John’s shot 45.9% from the floor compared to 26.1% for the Seahawks in the first 20 mintes.

   “We held Wagner to 19 points in the first half that’s pretty good defense,” Coach Mike Anderson said smiling. “We had 13 assists on so many (17) buckets.  That means we shared the basketball. It was a good team win on to the next”, he added.

   St. John’s effort in the opening stanza included two scoring runs one of 8-0 in the game’s opening moments and another of 13-0 where they held Wagner scoreless over a 5-minute stretch and extended their margin to 20 for the first time in the game.

  While Heron helped trigger a hot shooting start, St. John’s other main scoring threat, LJ Figueroa eschewed a cold shooting hand to help his team in many different ways.

“I thought he had his finger prints all over that first half”, Anderson said of his versatile 6’6” forward.  “He was getting the ball down to Mustapha for a layup or gets it to Nick (Rutherford) so he can make the next pass I thought he was all over the place and that’s what I’m looking for. When the shot is not going down how do you impact the team”.

    Wagner trailed by as many as 28 points but were able to take advantage of some sloppiness by St. John’s to pull to within 54-35 with six minutes remaining in the game but could get no closer. Leave it to Anderson to point out a teachable moment. “It’s something we have to do better”, he said succinctly, “playing with a lead”.

     Heron’s 18 points led 4 Johnnies in double figures scoring. Rasheem Dunn finished with 14 points including a pair of triples. Julian Champagnie continued to be as steady as she goes with 12 points on 5-8 shooting and 4 steals while Josh Roberts knocked on the door of a double double with 12 points and 9 boards. He also had a put back slam in the first half that helped raise and sustain the energy level of the crowd. With the win St. John’s raised its record to 6-2 on the season. They will play St. Peter’s next on Tuesday at 6:30pm at Carnesecca Arena.

Notes And Observations: A continuing area of growth for this team is the development of the bench. In addition to Dunn’s play St. John’s continued to get production from Marcellus Earlington (9 points & 4 boards) and will add a potential inside scoring threat when Ian Steere becomes eligible for the December 12 game against Albany.  Amongst those in attendance at the game were Maryland lacrosse commit Mike O’Connell, the brother of St. John’s grad transfer Tom O’Connell. Mike brought along his Blair Academy basketball teammate Kyle Cuffe Jr., a terrific all-purpose guard in the class of 2022 and the son of Kyle Cuffe who played for St. John’s from 2001 to 2004.

St. John's Surges Past Columbia

      

      Whether coach Mike Anderson and his St. John’s team found themselves trying to gain traction after a tough loss to Vermont last Saturday, or gain some momentum as they get ready for a road test against the Arizona State team that knocked them out of last year’s N.C.A.A. Tournament, it’s likely they got exactly what they needed last night.

     “Our guys came out with a sense of urgency and we kept that sense of urgency throughout the game”, Anderson said of his team’s 82-63 win over Columbia at Carnesecca Arena last night. “Guys came off the bench to give us some quality minutes.  It was a good team win we did a much better job taking care of the basketball.”

   Two first half runs, one of 11-0 and the other of 8-0 proved to be decisive for St. John’s.  They took a 25-7 lead at the end of the second run and were able to push the margin to 49-27 at the intermission. Rasheem Dunn scored all of his 14 points in the first half after coming off the bench.

“To me he’s a starter”, Anderson said of Dunn. “It’s not about starting it’s about getting quality minutes and what you do with those minutes. And you can see how Rasheem impacts our team. He’s a threat on offense and he’s tenacious on defense. And he’s a team player”

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      Dunn’s impact on the game did not stop when his scoring ended. He added 3 rebounds, a team high 3 assists and 3 steals. One of the assists came during a stretch early in the second half when freshman and fellow Brooklynite Julian Champagnie helped St. John’s regain their footing after Columbia went on 11-4 run as the second half began. With St. John’s lead trimmed to 15 points Champagnie scored 9 straight points to push the lead up to 24. The run included his only 3 pointer of the game and a nice transition basket set up by an over-the-shoulder flip from Dunn.

                St. John’s would finish the game with its most balanced stat sheet of the young season. Mustapha Heron would lead the way with 15 points with Dunn and Champagnie each adding 14. LJ Figueroa and David Caraher added 9 each. And as they have all season long, sophomores Josh Roberts and Marcellus Earlington provided needed energy and physicality off the bench. Roberts finished with 11 rebounds and 3 blocks while Earlington had 8 points and 8 boards.”

   “This team is growing right before our eyes”, Anderson said as he assessed the team’s progress, “Guys are starting to figure out what it takes to compete at this level and they’re starting to figure out they’re not just a two man team.”
  

   According to Heron, the new coach told the team that while some of them lost to Arizona State to end last season, this was “a new year and a new mindset”. Clearly Anderson and his staff have set a tone that the team has embraced. A win on Saturday would be a terrific step forward for the Johnnies and perhaps start them towards a return visit to the Big Dance.

Notes And Observations: Tonight, there’s just one and it’s a nod of appreciation for the great effort given by Columbia’s senior guard Mike Smith. The Illinois native finished with a game high 20 points as well as 9 rebounds and 6 assists combined with just 1 turnover in 37 minutes. On enemy territory playing against relentless pressure he played with poise and confidence. Even though he played fast he never got sped up. Here’s wishing him good luck for the rest of the season.                                  

Lamb's Clutch Shot Thwarts Late Rally by St. John's 70-68

     Rochester native Anthony Lamb pulled up and hit a foul line jumper with 2.4 seconds remaining and gave Vermont, the America East Conference’s defending champion and pre-season favorite, a hard fought 70-68 win over St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena on Saturday.

    Lamb’s basket put the finishing touch on a terrific second half in which he scored 19 of his game high 23 points. It also thwarted a furious 13-4 rally by St. John’s that culminated in consecutive three-point baskets that tied the game at 68 with 19 seconds remaining. After Mustapha Heron hit the first of those triples to bring the Johnnies to within 66-65. After Vermont’s Everett Duncan made two free throws to push the lead to 3   Rasheem Dunn, playing in his first game after a protracted and publicized battle with the NCAA over his eligibility, used a ball screen, pulled up and hit an off the dribble three to tie the game at 68 for St. John’s.  Vermont then handled the final possession like the veteran team and conference champions they are. Lamb took an inbounds pass, used a hard right hand dribble to get to the key, rose up just before L.J. Figueroa closed with an attempted double team, and swished the game winning jumper.

     ‘For people who haven’t seen Anthony play before that’s who he is he’s an incredible player”, Vermont coach John Becker said of Lamb. “He made a huge shot to win the game and I’m really proud of him”.

   Lamb’s late game heroics, and the game winning shot came in a game where neither team could gain much traction offensively. St. John’s shot a season low 34.5% from the floor for the game that included 5-19 from beyond the arc Combine that with 16 turnovers and 12 missed free throws and it’s surprising that St. John’s was able to rally to tie the game in the closing moments.

  St. John’s used a late rally to take a 31-26 lead at the intermission. Dunn put the capper on the rally with a pull up two-point jumper in the closing seconds of the half for the first field goal of his St. John’s career. Dunn entered the game with just under 14 minutes remaining in the first half and showed some early rust. He would finish the game with 13 points, including his game tying three in the second half and 4 makes on 6 free throws.

  Vermont erased that first half margin quickly and the two teams traded baskets until just over 9 minutes remaining. Vermont led 45-44 and went on an 11-2 run to seemingly take command of the game. A long trey by Figueroa helped St. John’s regain a bit of momentum and the two teams traded baskets until the run that lead to Dunn’s game-tying triple and, unfortunately for St. John’s fans, who provided good energy from start to finish, set the stage for Lamb’s game winning shot.

Notes and Observations: Both teams shot under 30% from beyond the arc but it may be worth noting that the success Vermont had from that distance seemed to come from what are referred to as “baseline draw baseline drift” sequences that result in the shortest of 3-point shots; the one’s from the corners. Several times St. John’s got caught converging on a driver and leaving a shooter open. I get that for players it’s an old hard habit to break when one is taught to help out since 3^rd grade but they’re defensive effort seems to include giving up a couple of those in every game.

   In the second half Vermont found lots of scoring chances inside the arc, connecting for a 52.9% cli at the rim and in the middle.

    For St. John’s it’s worth noting that Dunn played many of his 33 minutes at point guard and committed just one turnover while adding 2 assists to go with his 13 points Heron and Figueroa tied for team high scoring honors with 14 points apiece but they shot a combined 7-24 from the floor. Finally, the Johnnies trio of young forwards, sophomores Marcellus Earlington and Josh Roberts along with freshman Julian Champagnie each put together solid outings as they have all season long. Roberts finished with 9 points and tied Lamb for game-high rebounding honors with 13 caroms.  Champagnie finished with 9 points of his own and 6 boards while Earlington added 8 points and 7 boards.

   St. John’s will try to get back on the winning track Wednesday at 7pm when they face Columbia at Carnesecca Arena.

Figueroa And St. John's Start Slowly but Finish Strong for Third Straight Win

    St. John’s used a late 12-0 run to extend a 3-point margin to 15 and break open what had been a perilously close game against America East Conference rival New Hampshire. The Red Storm’s final margin of victory, 74-61 is simply not indicative of how close the game was, how well New Hampshire played or the obstacles St. John’s had to battle to get the win.

   Trailing 8-7 early in the game’s opening moments New Hampshire used an 11-0 run to grab an early edge and lead by as many as 12 in the first half. They extended their first half margin to as many as 12 points behind a trio of outstanding forwards; Shane Sufferin, Chris Lester and Nick Guadarama, who, along with reserve guard Mark Carbone, each connected from deep and were strong with the ball against St. John’s pressure.

    “I thought they took the fight to us…and were a little more physical than we were in the first half”, coach Mike Anderson said. Adding to St. John’s struggles was a scoreless first half from Mustapha Heron, who was saddled with 2 early fouls and may well have been a bit tentative when he re-entered the game.  LJ Figueroa, the Johnnies second leading scorer was having his own struggles, including at one point a hat trick of misses from the free throw line. He finished the first half with 12 points but did not connect on his first basket until a bit over 7:30 remaining in the first half. Combine those factors with 9 first half turnovers for the Johnnies and it’s remarkable that they took a 36-34 lead into the intermission when Marcellus Earlington followed in a Figueroa miss.

     Figueroa finding the range from deep was key to St. John’s first half rally and the win. He finished with a career high-tying 25 points and 8 rebounds and 5 steals but while St. John’s struggled at times to find scoring options to offset Heron’s uncharacteristically poor shooting night, they found them in several different ways. Included in David Caraher’s 9 off the bench were six points scored on a three-point shot and a hoop and harm 3-point play that kept St. John’s within hailing distance as New Hampshire surged to an early lead. Josh Roberts, as a starter, and Earlington in a reserve role found ways to score making energy plays to score. Roberts finished with 12 points 7 rebounds and 4 blocks while Earlington had 8 points and 4 boards.

   Each of those elements helped St. John’s regain their footing in the second half but they lead by just 3 points with six minutes left when the game deciding spurt came about. Figueroa provided 5 of the 12 points in the run while freshman Julian Champagnie provided the other 7 and punctuated the rally with a hoop and harm slam dunk after Figueroa tapped his own free throw miss in his direction with just over 4:30 left in the game.

    “To our guys credit we got down double digits but the game is 40 minutes long…I thought Marcellus (Earlington) David (Caraher) and Greg (Williams) that bunch came in and became a blue collar team and enabled us to do the things we needed to do to get back in the game”.

Ultimately, his team’s blue collar approach did much more than get them back in it. It enabled them to grind out a win despite just 5 points from Heron. It also likely gave them a glimpse of what they might need to beat the America East’s defending champion and pre-season favorite Vermont on Saturday.

Good Thoughts and Prayers for Nick Johnson: This is usually where I put “Notes and Observations” but for this recap I’d like to remember one of New York’s own Nick Johnson; who was the CHSAA’s “A” division player of the year last year for All Hallows High School and coach Marvin McCullough. He is now red-shirting at New Hampshire following a torn ACL he reportedly suffered during summer workouts. Recovery and rehab can be a lonely road but all of us who know Nick through basketball are no doubt with him in spirit wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

Heron Lifts St. John's Past Central Connecticut 87-57

            As the buzzer sounded St. John’s, and coach Mike Anderson, had their second consecutive 30-point win; this one an 87-57 win over Northeast Conference foe Central Connecticut State. They used a 20-0 run early in the second half to salt the game away, and as they had on Wednesday, moved the ball on offense and used pressure defense to secure an impressive win.

   For much of the first half, the game did was nothing like the blowout it became. St. John’s got off to a 13-4 start as Mustapha Heron scored their first 9 points. But while St. John’s struggled to find additional scoring, the young team from C.C.S.U., which features 10 players starting their first season for coach Donyell Marshall, found a nice rhythm. Senior Jamir Coleman combined with a pair of Chicago-area freshmen, Greg Outlaw and Myles Baker to help the Blue Devils gain their offensive footing. They briefly took the lead at 18-17 when Outlaw flipped a pass to Stephane Ayangma for a layup. St. John’s took the lead back for good on a layup by Heron, but because Heron was the only one making shots early the Johnnies could not extend their lead.
  

     That said Heron’s performance in the opening 20 minutes and throughout the game was nothing short of spectacular. He scored 19 of his 30 points in the opening 20 minutes while his teammates struggled to find the range. LJ Figueroa, who would come on strong in the second half, needed a late trey to finish the first stanza with 8 points. Freshman forward, Julian Champangie also endured early shooting struggles before he took a pass in the key from Greg Williams and converted a short jumper late in the half.  Fortunately for those two players and for St. John’s both shots were a portent of better things in the second half.

    With the Johnnies leading 39-33, Coleman took a pass from Jamir Reed and connected on a left corner triple to slice the deficit in half for Central. From there the game took a dramatic turn in St. John’s favor. A pair of baskets by Champangie and a steal and dunk by Heron began what would be a 20-0 run for the Johnnies that effectively salted the game away. Figueroa would connect on 4 of his 5 three pointers on the way to 17 points. And with point guard Nick Rutherford saddled with foul trouble would finish with a team high 6 assists.  Champangie finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds while center Josh Roberts protected the rim with 4 blocks.

    “It was a tale of two halves”, Anderson said, “The first half we didn’t shoot the ball well, in the second our defense picked up and we made some shots”.
  

        Heron’s 30 points came on 10-15 shooting from the floor and included 6-7 from beyond the arc. “He’s got a good basketball IQ and embraces wanting to be a leader” Anderson said of his star pupil and senior leader who kick started the offense when it wasn’t quite clicking.  Heron showed a different kind of leadership last season as he played through a nagging knee injury. If he can stay healthy this season, St. John’s fans and their new coach will see a special player.

Notes and Observations: Central Connecticut’s first half performance was impressive in this respect they committed just 5 of their 21 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. Senior Coleman and freshman Outlaw shared team high scoring honors for the Blue Devils with 11 points apiece. The 10 first year players for the Blue Devils included freshman forward Xavier Wilson, who was a 2017-18 CHSAA champion for Archbishop Stepinac before prepping at the Hotchkiss School (CT) last season. He finished with 5 points 2 boards and 2 blocked shots.

Anderson's Debut Brings Impressive Win for St. John's

Leave it to a veteran coach, Mike Anderson and a veteran player, Mustapha Heron, to lend some perspective to a 30-point season opening win.
   

“It took a lot of preparation and hard work for us to get here”, Anderson said following his team’s 109-79 trouncing of Mercer at Carnesecca Arena last night, but he added quickly that “….there’s still lots of work to do”.

    Moments earlier senior leader Heron expressed similar thoughts noting that Anderson’s quickly paced style was both “hard to play” and “a lot of fun”.  As opening nights go this was indeed lots of fun.

    The guys who figure to lead the way for the Johnnies this season, Heron and junior forward L.J. Figueroa did just that, scoring 25 and 18 points respectively. They combined with Graduate transfer Nick Rutherford put an early stamp on the game and, with the help of a couple of surprises, maintain and extend the 21-point half time margin they built.

   A pair of sophomores who barely played last season, center Josh Roberts and forward Marcellus Earlington, were able to build on strong pre-seasons. Roberts finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks while he played his role as a rim running, screening and rolling, and in his words, “dump off catching” center to perfection.

   Earlington provided the biggest surprise of the game after appearing in just 15 games last season, averaging a shade less than 4 minutes per contest and making his high school reputation playing football not basketball for perennial New Jersey power Don Bosco Prep.  Statistics tell this part of the game story to be sure, 17 points on 7-13 shooting and 5 rebounds, but the eye test matters here also. Not only did he bring the energy and hustle a fan might expect from an athlete who was a high end football recruit, but, for lack of a better phrase, he looked like a basketball player; moving without the ball, catching the ball in shooting position on both his 3-point tries, and scoring an early field goal with a strong right handed drive followed by a lefthanded finish.

   As both Anderson and Heron noted the play of Earlington and Roberts along with fellow sophomore Greg Williams is important to watch as the team tries to build depth for the basketball gauntlet that is the Big East Conference.

   The tests that the rest of the schedule brings will be difficult, and are the reason why coach Anderson sprinkled praise for his team’s effort and execution with caution. It was certainly a good beginning; one fans hope they can build on.

Notes And Observations: Former St. Francis College and Jefferson High guard Rasheem Dunn remained out while the NCAA continues to determine his eligibility status, which for now is on appeal following a ruling that would force him to lose a year of playing eligibility and leave him with only one year remaining. If I may do a bit of editorializing here the NCAA is essentially holding a kid who’s done everything right out of games because an athletic director who fired the coach who recruited him refuses to support his transfer. Instead of penalizing the young man, let’s hope the NCAA holds the adults responsible and gets this right. N.C. State transfer Ian Steere continued to sit out following last year’s mid-season transfer to St. John’s. He reportedly will sit out 11 games.

    A word of thanks to the sports information department at St. John’s for offering an N.B.A. style box score, complete with plus minus stats, hustle stats that note blocks and steals and statistics for “fouls drawn” and “blocks against”. Thank you and well done.   .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Georgetown Deals Johnnies' Tourney Hopes a Big Blow 89-78

        St. John’s NCAA tournament hopes received another crippling blow yesterday at the hands of both a familiar nemesis and a new one.  The familiar nemesis was the Georgetown Hoyas, now coached by the archest of arch-enemies to St. John’s fans Patrick Ewing. No doubt many in the crowd of 17,000+ who came to MSG remembered the best days for the Big East and the two programs, heard the buzz generated by St. John’s now distant 12-0 start and were both hopeful and curious. What they got was a disappointing 89-78 loss to their old rivals, Georgetown and Ewing, and found out that the Hoyas had a new thorn in St. John’s side, freshman point guard Matt McClung.

     To their credit, Georgetown got out of the gate quickly with the combination of McClung and former Wings Academy center Jesse Govan. They helped the Hoyas maintain the lead for all but very brief portions of each half and the crowd which was mostly a St. John’s crowd stayed quiet. What McClung and Govan did to great efficacy from start to finish was exploit mismatches created by St. John’s switching against either Govan’s size or McClung’s quick driving ability. McClung, who was injured for his team’s 97-94 loss to St. John’s on January 5^th had a game high 25 points for the Hoyas while Govan added 20. As a team the Hoyas shot 13-27 from three-point land in large part because the good work done by their center/guard combination put St. John’s defense in constant help and scramble mode and players such as freshman Josh LeBlanc (15 Points) and sophomore Jamorko Pickett (9 points) made key plays with the help of good ball movement or by attacking the glass.

  Georgetown took a 41-37 advantage into the intermission. And while the Hoyas played well in garnering that edge, St. John’s wing Mustapha Heron suggested that his team may have been “going through the motions” in the first 20 minutes. It’s fair to say that St. John’s lethargy extended into the second half as well since Georgetown was able to extend that halftime margin. And that lead to a series of coaching decisions that likely cost St. John’s dearly as they tried to make a final push.

    The series of coaching decisions came in the form of 3 St. John’s time outs. The first came as Georgetown pushed their margin to 55-50 with just over 15 minutes left. The second and third came after the Hoyas had extended their margin to 10 points and the last came with 8:49 seconds still to be played and left the Johnnies with no time outs for the balance of the game.

   It’s very likely that at the moment each of those last time outs were, they stopped the proverbial bleeding. But the early use of those time outs meant the Johnnies didn’t have them for the final possessions when they were sorely needed.

                Beginning with 1:49 left in the game, two free throws and a layup by Shamorie Ponds brought St. John’s to within 79-77. A flurry of defensive pressure and turnovers, and one replay reversal that gave St. John’s the ball with chances to tie the game. But on one possession Ponds’ without a time out through the ball away. The second, that came off a deflection and steal by LJ Figueroa resulted in a heartbreaking sequence for St. John’s that came about again in part because they had no time outs left. Figueroa began it with a long and quick three-pointer that he took without setting his feet, once again with no time outs left to set up a play for a good shot. A flurry of tip tries followed, all missed and, perhaps fittingly, it was left Mac McClung to get the rebound and take the last breath of air from a St. John’s comeback try with a drive and dunk.

   The loss was St. John’s 5^th in 8 Big East games and their 3^rd in 4 tries. After a three-game road trip that begins Tuesday at Creighton and includes visits to Duke and Marquette, the Johnnies may now simply not have enough chances to play themselves back into the NCAA tournament field. A season that began with such bright promise has seen that promise fade quickly. And with this loss, they may have seen the tournament bid St. John’s fans want so badly for their team and their coach, slip from their team’s grasp.

   

Clippers Start Big Week with Tough Win Vs. Terrieres

     As yesterday’s game between St. Francis Prep and Xaverian came down to the final moments, an otherwise stellar defensive sequence for the Clippers was marred by a foul that came on a deflected inbounds pass. With Xaverian leading by what would be the final margin, 60-58, St. Francis missed the first of two attempts. On the second try they were called for a lane violation and with .4 seconds left the Clippers successfully inbounded the ball and the clock expired.  As they have for much of this season, the Clippers found a way to win a close game; this one over an improving Prep squad that may prove to be a tough out in the playoffs.

     The two teams played within a tight margin from start to finish, with neither team able to build a lead of more than 5 points. And while each team had several players make key contributions, a pair of young players lead the way for their teams. Sophomore guard Nick Folk of Xaverian and junior guard Anthony Lopez Jr. tied for game high scoring honors with 16 points. Of greater significance for both their teams and their individual development is that they each showed the ability to do more than just score the ball. For St. Francis Lopez, who established his reputation as a scorer last season as a varsity sophomore, essentially played point guard for this season’s terriers, and with very few exceptions made good decisions about when to call his own number and when to get his teammates involved. Seniors Justin Hendrick, Daniel Campbell and Aramis Santiago along with sophomore lefty Todd Rochelle each contributed key baskets and made defensive plays throughout the game and gave the terriers a 1-point lead at the intermission.

                For Xaverian the most impressive thing about Folk’s game was how complete it was. Like Lopez last season, he has established his reputation as a shooter in this his first varsity season. Yesterday his playmaking and defense were also key in helping the Clippers stay close after a slow-shooting start, and he helped them take a third quarter lead with two terrific passing plays, one where he hit senior guard Isaiah Amazan with a pass that led to free throws, and another where he dropped a perfect dime to senior center Michael Graham for a slam dunk.  Amazan and Graham have been steady senior leaders who have brought energy and toughness to Xaverian’s defense all season long and in this game Graham’s ability to protect the rim and Amazan’s terrific defense on both Lopez and Hendricks at key points in the game was vital to what would ultimately be a winning effort.

    For Xaverian, the win yesterday comes at the beginning of a key stretch of the season as they will play home games against Brooklyn-Queens leader Bishop Loughlin on Friday, and Christ the King on Sunday. So far this season, Xaverian has faced every challenger with poise, toughness and trust in each other. Those elements will be vital as they go through this week’s gauntlet of games and come down the stretch of the season.

Storm Starts Slowly in Ponds' Return but Ends 2-Game Losing Streak.

                In a game marked by scoring runs in favor of both sides, the most important one for St. John’s in their 86-61 win over Creighton yesterday may have come in the first half. Despite Shamorie Ponds’ return to the lineup, the Red Storm appeared to be on their heels.  A 15-6 run that stretched across the middle of the first half had lifted the visitors from Nebraska from a 13-13 tie to a 28-19 advantage when freshman guard Marcus Zegarowski connected on a three-pointer with 6:17 to go in the opening half. From there it was up to Ponds, who appeared to be moving well even as St. John’s offense sputtered to that point. Ponds then connected on a three-point shot and a two-point jumper which began a stretch where the Johnnies connected on eight straight field goal tries. They closed the half on a 20-6 run and had a 39-34

                After the strong close to the first half there still proved work to be done as Creighton opened the half on 7-3 run to close the gap to 42-41. Coach Chris Mullin called timeout just prior to what would have been the first (under 16) media timeout and the move paid off as his team responded with another strong run, scoring 10 of the game’s next 12 points. That rally saw continued fine play from Ponds as well as the start of a strong second half from Mustapha Heron, who was scoreless in the first half thanks in large part to a pair of early fouls.  His second half would go much better as St. John’s worked diligently to get him touches on the low block. He scored all of his 18 points in the second 20 minutes connecting on 7 of 8 shots.

   Creighton’s strong young perimeter kept them within striking distance for much of the game. Zegarowski led a quartet of Blue Jay double figure scorers with 17 points while center Martin Krampelj added 14 but St. John’s was continually able to create quickness mismatches, often with him involved guarding Heron, LJ Figueroa, who finished with 16 points and 13 boards, or Justin Simon, who also had 16 points. Ponds would finish with a game high 22 points and 5 assists, helping with his playmaking to facilitate St. John’s ability to find and take advantage of mismatches. The win broke a two-game in-season losing streak for St. John’s as well as a six-game losing streak against Creighton.

   The win moved the Johnnies overall record to 15-3 while pulling them even in Big East play at 3-3. Up next is another crucial game at Butler on Saturday beginning at 4:30 pm.