Following the conclusion of Friday’s contest between La Salle and Saint Peter’s at Carnesecca Arena, the St. John’s Athletic Department announced that Vince Cole has been named the MVP of the Lapchick Tournament while Posh Alexander and Isaih Moore earned spots on the All-Lapchick Tournament Team.
St. John’s won The Lapchick Tournament with a record of 2-0 after beating Saint Peter’s on Wednesday and La Salle on Thursday. Saint Peter’s topped La Salle, 62-51, on Friday to earn second-place honors.
Cole led the Red Storm in scoring on back-to-back days, netting 21 points in the Wednesday win over Saint Peter’s before going for 19 on Thanksgiving afternoon against La Salle. During the season opener, Cole sank eight of his 12 field goal tries, including a 5-for-6 showing from three-point range. The two-time NJCAA All-American led the Red Storm to a comeback victory in his first Division I game, scoring five points in the final 18 seconds to erase a four-point deficit. The following afternoon against Saint Peter’s, Cole led all scorers with 19 points in addition to tallying five boards, a game-high four assists and three steals.
Alexander, a freshman from Brooklyn, was electrifying during his first two collegiate games at Carnesecca Arena. On Wednesday against the Peacocks, the Our Saviour Lutheran product registered 16 points, seven rebounds, five steals and a pair of assists. His fifth steal of the evening, which involved him chasing down a long Saint Peter’s inbounds pass in the frontcourt, set up Cole’s game-winning 3-pointer. Against La Salle, Alexander tallied eight points, four assists and four steals in 29 minutes of action.
Moore, also an NJCAA All-American last year at undefeated Pearl River Community College, led the Red Storm in rebounding twice in as many tries and made an impact on the offensive end. The Sumter, S.C., native logged 12 points and nine rebounds against Saint Peter’s before adding nine points and seven boards the following afternoon. On the tournament, the 6-foot-10, 205-pound Moore sank nine of his 10 tries from the free throw line.
St. John’s resurrected this season The Lapchick Tournament after a 25-year hiatus. The Johnnies hosted the four-team tournament 21 times from 1975-1995, winning the title on 20 occasions and going 41-1 during that stretch.
The event honors the memory of legendary St. John’s head coach Joe Lapchick, a two-time Naismith Hall of Fame inductee and the owner of a 334-130 (.720) record leading the program. Lapchick, who passed away in 1970, led the Redmen to four NIT titles, including during his final season in 1964-65.
Lapchick Tournament Most Valuable Player
Vince Cole, St. John’s
All-Lapchick Tournament Team
Posh Alexander, St. John’s
Jhamir Brickus, La Salle
Fousseyni Drame, Saint Peter’s
Isaih Moore, St. John’s
KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s
For more information on the St. John’s Athletics Department fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here;
Fan Cutout – St. John’s University Athletics – Official Athletics Website (redstormsports.com)