St John’s Women’s Basketball Huddle. Photo by: Stacy Podelski/1495 Sports
Following a monumental comeback effort that fell just short against league-leading Seton Hall on Sunday afternoon, the St. John’s Red Storm will look to get one back in the win column this Friday night against Creighton in Carnesecca Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
RED STORM QUICK HITS
- Sunday will mark the Red Storm’s first game in Queens since Jan. 18, when Aliyyah Handford scored 25 points and Danaejah Grant turned in a double-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead St. John’s over Marquette. On the season, the Red Storm is 9-3 inside the friendly confines of Carnesecca Arena.
- With 26 points in just 31 minutes of action on Sunday against Seton Hall, Aliyyah Handford continued her season-long assault on the scoresheet. The BIG EAST’s leading scorer and the 22nd-ranked point-getter in the nation, the Newark, N.J., native is averaging 20.6 points per game this season, scoring 20 or more in 13 of her team’s 21 games. Recently, Handford has scored 20 or more in 10 of the Red Storm’s last 12 outings, averaging 22.5 per game during that stretch. With 1,292 points for her career, Handford is currently just seven points away from cracking the top 10 on the St. John’s all-time scoring list.
- In addition to Handford, the Red Storm sports another dynamic scoring threat in junior guard Danaejah Grant. The Piscataway, N.J., native is averaging 18.1 points per game on the year, good enough for third in the BIG EAST, and has scored at least 20 on eight occasions. In addition, Grant is also tied for the team lead in double-doubles with two on the season. Grant and Handford combine to form the third-most productive pair of teammates in the nation in terms of points per game (38.7), ranking only behind duos from Ohio State and Akron.
- The St. John’s career leader in rebounding with 947 during her Red Storm tenure, Amber Thompson reached another pair of milestones on Sunday against Seton Hall, tallying her 800th career point and her 150th career block. The Newark, N.J., native is currently four blocks shy of tying Shenneika Smith for third place on the St. John’s career list and 26 blocks out of second place. Dianne Pugh tops the Red Storm’s career list in that category with 229. In addition, Thompson is also on the verge of breaking into the BIG EAST record book, sitting just 26 rebounds shy of cracking the conference’s career top 20.
SCOUTING CREIGHTON
- After struggling to begin the conference season and limping out to a 1-5 start, Creighton has emerged victorious in four of its last five conference contests, highlighted a 62-55 win over Butler this past Sunday at home.
- Creighton is led by Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year Marissa Janning, who tops the Bluejays with 16.4 points per game. She also leads the team in assists with 3.7 per contest and sports an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.46.
- Only one other Bluejay, Alexis Akin-Otiko, averages double figures, scoring 12.6 per contest.
- The Bluejays rank in the top 10 nationally in two statistical categories. Their 11.1 turnovers per game are good enough for the third-fewest in the nation, while their team assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.32 ranks ninth in the NCAA.
ST. JOHN’S VS. CREIGHTON – THE SERIES
- Friday night will mark the second meeting of the season between the Red Storm and the Bluejays, as St. John’s held Creighton to a season-low 38 points on Jan. 11 in Omaha, Neb.
- In the six all-time meetings between the two schools, St. John’s holds a 4-2 advantage over Creighton.
- Prior to Creighton joining the BIG EAST for the 2013-14 season, the Red Storm topped the Bluejays in the First Round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, 69-67, en route to the program’s first-ever Sweet 16 appearance.
For more information on the St. John’s Women’s Basketball team fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here: