St. John’s University Men’s Basketball. Photo by: Stacy Podelski
No. 20/23 St. John’s is back in action at Carnesecca Arena on Friday squaring off with St. Mary’s (6-2) at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports 1. The nationally ranked Red Storm has played some of its best basketball this season in Queens as it enters the contest boasting a 5-0 record at Carnesecca Arena. Rich Ackerman and Jim Spanarkel are on the call for FOX Sports 1. St. John’s radio announcers John Minko and Brandon Tierney can be heard on 970 AM (WNYM).
St. John’s (8-1) is in the AP Top-25 Poll for the second straight week and earned its first ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll on Monday after a pair of convincing wins over Fordham and Fairleigh Dickinson. The Red Storm has won four straight games, all by double-digits margins, and has stifled opponents with a defensive effort that has not allow more than 57 points in a game during this stretch.
D’Angelo Harrison continues to perform at a high level averaging 22.0 points during St. John’s recent win streak. He received consecutive BIG EAST Player of the Week honors and has been recognized by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association as the top player in the region for the last two weeks. The 6-foot-4 senior guard who currently leads the BIG EAST in scoring (19.7) and ranks sixth in rebounding (7.2) has already landed on watch lists for several national awards.
St. John’s is coming off a 21-point win over Fordham on Sunday in the MSG Holiday Festival. Harrison and Rysheed Jordan combined for 46 of the Red Storm’s 71 points and converted 70.3 percent of their field goal attempts. Jordan matched a career-high 24 points (9-of-12 FG), hit three 3-pointers and made four steals to pace the Red Storm.
Things To Know
- St. John’s has reeled off four straight wins and has a 17.0-point margin of victory during this streak. The Red Storm has shot 47.9 percent from the field while holding opponents to a 35.8 field goal percentage over this stretch. D’Angelo Harrison has averaged 22.0 points while shooting 54.9 percent (28-51) and 95.8 percent (23-24) at the free-throw line.
- The Red Storm has won all five of its contests at Carnesecca Arena this season, including its recent 22-point victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 10. St. John’s has elevated its play in Queens averaging 76.2 points, while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 72.3 percent at the free-throw line. The Johnnies have outrebounded opponents 42.0 to 35.0 and have swatted 8.8 shots per game at Carnesecca Arena. Chris Obekpa was one of St. John’s top performers against FDU as he went for his second double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds) of the year and recorded six blocks.
- The Red Storm has shot 76.3 percent (45-59) from the free-throw line in the last three contests. St. John’s shot a season best 80.0 percent (20-25) in a hostile road environment to snap Syracuse’s 55-game home win streak on Dec. 6. D’Angelo Harrison has connected on 21 straight free-throws heading into Friday’s contest with St. Mary’s. It is the second longest streak of free-throws for his career after opening the 2013-14 season with 23 in a row. Harrison ranks fifth in program history with 492 career free-throws made.
- Sir’Dominic Pointer has elevated his offensive production in the second half this season averaging 7.0 of his 10.2 points after halftime. He boasts a 75.8 percent (25-33) field goal mark in the second stanza. Overall, Pointer is fourth on the team in scoring, while ranking in the top-10 of the BIG EAST in rebounding (7.7), field goal percentage (57.8), steals (2.3) and blocks (1.7).
- D’Angelo Harrison moved into sixth place on St. John’s career scoring list with his 22-point performance on Sunday versus Fordham. Harrison is the second active leading scorer in NCAA Division I with 1,778 points over his four year career at St. John’s, only trailing BYU’s Tyler Haws (2,206). He is 32 points away from matching Zendon Hamilton (1,810 points – 1994-98) for fifth place on the all-time list. Harrison has earned back-to-back BIG EAST Player of the Week honors. In the last three games, Harrison has averaged 24.0 points and shot 57.9 percent (22-38) from the field and 44.4 percent (8-18) from 3-point range
About the Series
- St. John’s takes on St. Mary’s for the first time in four years and it will be the third meeting overall. The programs have split their two contests in a series that dates back to 1967.
- In the last meeting on Nov. 16, 2010, the Red Storm dropped a 76-71 decision at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif. Dwayne Polee II led the Red Storm with 16 points and Malik Boothe added 15 on 5-for-8 shooting. Clint Steindl was the top scorer for St. Mary’s with 22 points hitting 7-of-10 3-pointers.
- St. Mary’s is the second team from the West Coast Conference that St. John’s will play this season. The Red Storm was edged by then-No. 10/8 Gonzaga in the NIT Season Tip-Off Championship Game at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 28.
St. John’s University will be holding a toy drive from 12/19 to 12/22 fans are encouraged to bring a new toy to the ticket office prior to the game to receive a ticket offer for those games.
For more information on the St. John’s Men’s Basketball team fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here: