The final contest at Carnesecca Arena this season proved to be a mirror image of the first encounter between the two teams nineteen days before, with one team establishing control midway through the first half before the other battled back and stole the game down the stretch.
Led by 23 points from D’Angelo Harrison and a career-high 18 from fellow freshman Amir Garrett, St. John’s (12-16, 5-10) shook off DePaul’s late rally and sent the Blue Demons (11-16, 2-13) to their seventh straight defeat in a 79-72 decision on the Queens campus.
“It was a quick turnaround in 48 hours,” assistant coach Mike Dunlap stated after the game, the second for the Red Storm in three days after defeating UCLA this past Saturday. “We took care of the ball against a pressing team and were scrappier in the second half.”
After giving up 94 points to Seton Hall last Tuesday, the Red Storm have now won two straight as they look to keep their slim hopes for a first-round bye in the Big East tournament alive, and next up will be a Notre Dame team that has defied expectations in the absence of star forward Tim Abromaitis.
Before the collision with the Fighting Irish, however, we wrap up a Monday night in Queens with a few lasting impressions.
Lasting Impressions
– Amir Garrett picks up game ball honors with an aggressive 18-point outing. When asked about his adaptation into the lineup, the freshman admitted he still was not up to speed with the rest of the team. “I’m still catching up,” said Garrett. “They’re flying down the court and I’m like ‘Hey, wait for me!'”
– The increased trips to the foul line were crucial for both teams, but more so for the young and undermanned Red Storm. “We got chances to rest,” said Mike Dunlap on the blown whistles. “Every time they fouled, it was like a timeout.”
– As expected, Brandon Young (17 points) had several opportunities to contribute for DePaul. However, fellow sophomore Cleveland Melvin made more of an impact for the Blue Demons with an 18-point, 15-rebound performance that gets lost in the shuffle considering how effective St. John’s was in closing out the game.
– Finally, there is some optimism around St. John’s. With Notre Dame; who has not beaten the Red Storm in Madison Square Garden in several years, up next, St. John’s can still consider themselves in consideration for an NIT bid. After Notre Dame, next up are a Pittsburgh team that is 4-11 in Big East play and Rutgers, who has been inconsistent through most of the year. However, St. John’s would still need to win their first two Big East tournament games to get over .500 and have a shot at the postseason.
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