Danaejah Grant. Photo by: Stacy Podelski/1495 Sports
Following a thrilling 64-56 victory over Army in the First Round of the WNIT on Thursday evening, the St. John’s Red Storm has drawn local foe Fordham in the Second Round of the bracket, playing host to the Rams at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at Carnesecca Arena. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3, with Ralph Bednarczyk and Scott Greene on the call.
RED STORM QUICK HITS
- Dating back to 2004-05, the Red Storm has now won at least one game in nine out of its last 10 postseason appearances. St. John’s has also now advanced to at least the Second Round of the WNIT in all four of their appearances in the tournament, and a victory against the Rams would punch the Red Storm’s ticket to the WNIT Round of 16 for the third time.
- With 624 points on the season, junior guard Aliyyah Handford is just two points away from tying Cozette Ballentine for the second-highest single-season point total in school history. Ballentine registered 626 points during the 1990-91 season, marking the best scoring output by a junior in school history. Handford and Ballentine also share the distinction of being the only two players in school history to record 600 points and 200 rebounds during the same campaign. Debbie Beckford’s 705 points in 1982-83 still marks the Red Storm’s single-season record.
- Ranking second and sixth, respectively, in the BIG EAST in scoring, Aliyyah Handford and Danaejah Grant combine to form one of the most prolific backcourt duos in the nation. With a combined 1,163 points on the season, the Garden State natives hold the honor of being the highest-scoring pair of teammates in a single-season in school history.
- St. John’s punched its ticket to the Second Round of the WNIT thanks in large part to a career-performance from sophomore point guard Aaliyah Lewis. The Staten Island, N.Y., native poured in 20 points, converting on four of her seven attempts from the floor and all 12 of her tries from the charity stripe.
- In its four WNIT appearances , the Red Storm possesses an all-time record of 6-3.
SCOUTING FORDHAM
- After registering 20 wins for the third-straight season, the Fordham Rams have advanced to the Second Round of the WNIT for the second time in the last three years.
- The 2014 Atlantic 10 Champions are led by a pair of upperclassmen, senior forward Emily Tapio and graduate student guard Tiffany Ruffin. Tapio, a Brewster, N.Y., native is the Rams’ leading scorer at 12 points per outing, while Ruffin fills up the stat sheet with 9.1 points, 6.0 boards and 4.7 assists per game.
- The Rams are also aided on offense by the three-point threat of sophomore guard Hannah Missry. 75 of the Manasquan, N.J., native’s 90 made field goals this season have come from beyond the arc and she is the Rams’ leader in three-point shooting percentage at 36.9.
ST JOHN’S VS. FORDHAM – THE SERIES
- A pair of New York City women’s basketball powerhouses in the 1970s, St. John’s and Fordham share a vibrant series history that dates back four decades.
- In 22 all-time meetings between the two programs, St. John’s holds a 17-5 advantage over its neighbors from the Bronx.
- Despite their geographic proximity, The Red Storm and the Rams have not played one another since the 2004-05 season, when the Johnnies claimed a 64-42 victory inside the Rose Hill Gym.
- The Red Storm is 9-1 all-time against the Rams in games played at Carnesecca Arena.
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