Cole's Late Buckets Help St. John's Avoid Upset

 

    Junior guard Vince Cole scored the game’s final 5 points and rallied St. John’s from the brink of an opening-night upset to a 76-75 win over St. Peter’s at Carnesecca Arena last night.

      St. Peter’s Matthew Lee drained a pair of free throws to give the Peacocks a 75-71 lead with just under 30 seconds left. Cole followed that with a tough drive to pull the Johnnies to within a bucket.  Following a time out freshman, Posh Alexander chased down an errant inbounds pass. He nearly double dribbled but the loose ball came to Greg Williams who calmly passed to Cole in the corner. Cole then drained his 5^th triple in six tries to give St. John’s the lead with 8.5 seconds left.   On the final possession for the Peacocks Lee used a quick spin dribble to get by Alexander and to the rim where another juco newcomer, 6’9” Isaih Moore altered the shot and then took down the miss to preserve the win for the Johnnies.

   Cole’s performance was particularly impressive not just because it came in his first college game. It also came in a game where St. John’s had very little rhythm on offense. St. Peter’s, by contrast, found rhythm quickly and were able to spread St. John’s out and make good decisions against their trapping zone.  In a game they lost, Coach Shaheen Holloway’s team shot 50% from the floor and 42% from beyond the arc.  St. John’s successfully countered those numbers by converting on 21-25 free throw tries. Coach Mike Anderson noted that they took advantage of their size, including a perfect 6-6 from Moore who finished with 12 points. Posh Alexander also drove to the basket effectively and made 6 of his 8 tries from the stripe. He finished with 16 points.

   On paper, St. John’s and St. Peter’s appear similarly experienced; with rosters made up primarily of sophomores and juniors. A closer look at the two teams shows that the Peacocks have a lot more experience playing together which may account for the crispness of their ball movement and defensive rotations as well as their poise after St. John’s took its largest lead of 8 points early in the second half. A pair of experienced sophomores, Darryl Banks, and Lee provided 13 and 11 points respectively, while a pair of bigs with local connections, KC Ndefo of Lincoln High and Fousseyni Drame of Our Savior New American consistently found gaps in St. John’s zone for 16 and 11 points respectively.

           St. John’s faces another test on Thursday against LaSalle. They will again likely be without forward Julian Champagne who missed this game because of an ankle injury. They may be without senior leader Rasheem Dunn who required stitches after landing hard on his chin. While Cole’s clutch shooting and their physicality helped them grind to a season-opening win, a season full of obstacles may become even more difficult than expected if injuries or illness become factors. As coach Anderson said St. John’s will indeed need everybody for the season to be a success.

 

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.

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.