After leading the Red Storm to a 2-0 week that featured a road win over a ranked Connecticut squad, Posh Alexander and Julian Champagnie have been recognized by the BIG EAST for their efforts. Alexander has been named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the second time this season while Champagnie, the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week, found a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
Alexander averaged 19.0 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals as the Red Storm improved to 3-1 in its last four games. The Brooklyn native shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the floor and 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from three-point range. Champagnie, another Kings County product, averaged 15.5 points 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks during the Red Storm’s undefeated week.
On Monday against Connecticut in front of a national broadcast audience on FOX, Alexander keyed the Red Storm to a win in its first meeting with the Huskies since 2013. He scored 15 of his 18 team-high points and dished out four of his game-high six assists in the second half, helping the Red Storm erase a deficit that reached as many as 14 in the opening stanza and stood at eight with just under nine minutes to play in the game. With his team on the wrong end of that eight-point margin near the midway mark of the second half, Alexander tallied five points and an assist on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 59.
In the team’s non-conference finale against Utah Valley on Saturday, Alexander eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the first time in his St. John’s career, scoring exactly that number on 8-of-15 shooting from the floor.
Alexander registered three steals apiece against UConn and Utah Valley, maintaining his league-leading average of 2.5 per game in that category. Through contests played on Sunday, Alexander is tied for 11th overall nationally and ranks first among freshmen in steals per game. His 4.4 assists per game rank fifth in the BIG EAST overall and eighth nationally among freshmen.
Against UConn, Champagnie scored nine of his 12 points during that critical second-half stretch that saw St. John’s erase an eight-point deficit and seal the victory. He converted on only two field goals, scoring seven of his 12 points from the charity stripe, but both of his makes came in crucial situations. Champagnie drained a triple to bring the Red Storm within two with 7:21 to go and converted on a driving layup to push the Johnnies’ lead to four with just over a minute to play.
Five days later against Utah Valley at Carnesecca Arena, Champagnie scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half to help the Johnnies pull away from the Wolverines in the team’s non-conference finale.
On the season, Champagnie leads the BIG EAST in scoring with 19.9 points per game. He also leads the Red Storm and ranks 11th in the conference with 6.9 boards per outing while placing sixth in the conference with 1.6 steals per contest. The Bishop Loughlin graduate also ranks ninth in the league in blocks with 1.3 per game.
The Red Storm returns to action on Wednesday night, traveling to Chicago for a 9 p.m. contest with the DePaul Blue Demons. The game will air live nationally on FS1.
For more information on the St. Johns’ Athletics Department fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here:
Fan Cutout – St. John’s University Athletics – Official Athletics Website (redstormsports.com)