No matter how you slice last night’s game, one thing was clear at Carnesecca Arena.
This one was for Lavin.
On a night when head coach Steve Lavin shocked everyone with his unexpected return following successful prostate cancer surgery last month, his St. John’s (2-0) team overcame a 16-point deficit to narrowly escape Patriot League opponent Lehigh (0-1) by the final of 78-73.
The Red Storm were paced by God’sgift Achiuwa, who scored 21 points on a perfect shooting night (6-of-6 from the field and 9-of-9 at the free throw line) to lead all scorers.
Moe Harkless and Nurideen Lindsey also chipped in with 15 points each, while fellow newcomer D’Angelo Harrison was the unsung hero defensively, with twelve points and four steals.
C.J. McCollum paced the visiting Mountain Hawks with 19 points and 9 rebounds, finishing the night just one board shy of a double-double.
The fortitude of the players might have been the reason why the Red Storm emerged victorious, but this night was all about their beloved savior, Steve Lavin, who returned a conquering hero.
“Our fans were great tonight,” said Lavin. “Once you’re able to join forces with your basketball family, it’s a special night.” Lavin then shared a laugh with the media when he jokingly went on to say that it was “good to be back, but when we were down 16, I was thinking I should have taken my wife’s advice and stayed out until Sunday.”
“It was definitely surprising,” said Harkless. “When I saw him, I just jumped up and gave him a big hug.”
Harkless’ reaction was shared with the St. John’s fan base tonight, as their resident superhero is back on the stage where he endeared himself to the masses. Before the Johnnies’ next game Sunday against UMBC, we examine what made Lavin’s return a winning one in tonight’s edition of lasting impressions.
Lasting Impressions
– God’sgift Achiuwa established himself early and often as the focal point for the Red Storm offense, particularly in the paint. The Nigerian junior scored a game-high 21 points on a night where he did not miss a single shot either from the field (6-of-6) or the free throw line (9-of-9). He stated proudly in the post game press conference he’s done it before and he took extra time this week to practice his free throws.
– Credit Maurice Harkless and Nurideen Lindsey for serving as the backbone of Achiuwa’s supporting cast. Harkless and Lindsey scored 15 points each, with Harkless contributing all but two of his points in the second half.
– Much like Monday night’s game against William & Mary, it was a tale of two halves for St. John’s. The Red Storm were down 36-20 midway through the opening half, and entered the intermission behind 43-33. Once the second half opened, the press defense that worked to perfection in the season opener was unleashed. Lehigh guard C.J. McCollum, who had made four of his first five shots, missed ten of his last twelve to finish the night 6-for-17 from the field.
– D’Angelo Harrison and Sir’Dominic Pointer were the stars of the show defensively. Harrison contributed four of the Johnnies’ eleven steals, while Pointer used his tremendous athleticism to get up and down the floor and deprive Lehigh of valuable second chance opportunities that, if converted, could have won them the game.
– Finally, tonight’s game ball goes to none other than Steve Lavin. Originally mulling Sunday afternoon’s contest against UMBC as his return to the court, Lavin was helped along in his decision by Mike Dunlap. The associate head coach urged Lavin to make his appearance ahead of schedule. Lavin joked about how he should have stuck to his original game plan when Lehigh opened their 16-point lead in the first half, but, as is always the case with Lavin, he found a silver lining to the early deficit. “It helped our learning curve, and it kind of threw me back into the fire,” said the coach after Lehigh opened last night’s contest with a near-perfect 11-of-14 performance from the field.
