In recent years, a certain team would have fallen to pieces down the stretch after yielding a 16-1 run and finishing the game’s last nine minutes without a field goal.  This is a different team; and in a town once full of losers, this new-look squad is pulling out of it to win.

Despite not making a shot from the field since Dwight Hardy’s three-pointer with 8:59 remaining in regulation put St. John’s up 52-40, the Red Storm (15-9, 7-5 in the Big East) outlasted a scrappy Cincinnati team (19-6, 6-6) that made the Johnnies earn every last free throw that proved critical in the waning moments en route to a 59-57 Red Storm win on the road at Fifth Third Arena.  Although he didn’t post a third consecutive 30-point game, Dwight Hardy paced the boys from Queens with 18 points; while Justin Brownlee added 16, perhaps none bigger than the game-winning free throw with 3.5 seconds remaining in regulation that provided the final margin for a team that has a very good chance to make its long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament barring a meltdown.

St. John’s shot 50 percent from the field (23-for-46) and 75 percent (9-for-12) from the foul line in the winning effort today, stark contrasts from the lackluster shooting effort from the field and 46 percent (12-f0r-26) showing from the charity stripe the first time these two teams met on January 22nd at Carnesecca Arena, a matchup the Bearcats won 53-51 behind Yancy Gates‘ (held scoreless today) game-winning jumper. Brownlee, whose attempt to tie the game last month was unsuccessful against Cincinnati, was the offensive catalyst today with a 7-for-9 shooting effort. For the Bearcats, their willingness to live and die by the outside shot in the early going proved critical throughout, as they were only able to get into an effective rhythm from beyond the arc.  Of their 19 field goals, 11 were trifectas. Sixth man Sean Kilpatrick led the way for the Bearcats with 15 points off the bench, while Dion Dixon (12 points) and Rashad Bishop (10) were the only other players in double figures for coach Mick Cronin, whose NCAA Tournament status is now shakier than it was going into today’s game. Cincinnati has quality wins over Dayton and Xavier, but has a soft schedule when compared to their Big East counterparts; as well as losses to bubble teams the likes of West Virginia and this St. John’s team, not to mention a close call against DePaul.

Next up for St. John’s will be Marquette on the road Tuesday night, as the Johnnies look to bolster an already impressive resume with yet another quality Big East win.  The next game on the ledger, as well as some happenings from today’s matinee will be the focus of the latest lasting impressions as the Red Storm head into the Bradley Center.

Lasting Impressions

• St. John’s looks to end a long losing streak to Marquette when the two teams lock horns Tuesday night.  Despite losing each of their last two matchups against the Golden Eagles by just two points, St. John’s has not emerged victorious against Marquette since February 26, 1966.  Just to put the length of that drought into perspective, coach Steve Lavin was just 17 months old the last time St. John’s defeated the Golden Eagles, while Marquette head man Buzz Williams wasn’t even born yet.
• Very rarely do you see a team win a game without making a field goal over the final nine minutes, but credit the matchup zone of St. John’s and its eventual transition into a man-to-man package for stifling Cincinnati down the stretch.  At various points in the second half, the Bearcats were clearly uncomfortable on the offensive end; and struggled to find a confident look from the field.
• Malik Boothe, whose two free throws gave St. John’s the lead for good after Cincinnati came back to take a four-point advantage, may have had deja vu in his mind when he was at the line.  For those who don’t remember, Boothe calmly drained two free throws against West Virginia in his freshman season (2007-08) in the last game of the year at Madison Square Garden that gave the Johnnies the lead before Joe Mazzulla sent it into overtime with his uncontested coast-to-coast layup.
• With the win today, St. John’s moves into a tie for fifth in the Big East at 7-5 in conference, joining Villanova after the Wildcats’ heartbreaking loss to Pittsburgh last night at the Pavilion.  With the Johnnies going to Villanova on February 26th, this win looms just as large as the impending head-to-head matchup that will have a profound effect on conference tiebreakers that will ultimately determine Big East tournament seeding.
• Finally, regarding the chances for the Red Storm to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002: Assuming St. John’s can split their remaining six games, (at Marquette, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. DePaul, at Villanova, at Seton Hall, vs. South Florida) they will end the regular season 18-12 with a 10-8 mark inside the Big East.  Given their Top 20 RPI and the strongest schedule in the country, it’s not a lock that the Storm will be dancing, but the outlook has not been this bright in a long time.

Cincinnati last paid visit to Carnesecca Arena two years ago today; and behind 21 second-half points from Deonta Vaughn, ended the game on a 31-9 run to defeat St. John’s 71-60.  Two years later, Vaughn may be gone and Lance Stephenson used the Bearcats as a middle ground for a professional career; but the core of the Bearcats returned to Queens and got the job done once again.

In a game that was the epitome of a knock-down, drag-out battle, 25th-ranked Cincinnati (17-3, 4-3 in the Big East) relied on a game-winning jump shot from Yancy Gates with eight seconds left to hand the Johnnies (11-7, 4-4) their second consecutive loss at Carnesecca by the final score of 53-51.  For the Bearcats, it was their second straight win on the Queens campus and fourth out of five against the Johnnies dating back to February 2008.  Gates led the way for Cincinnati with 13 points and eight rebounds, but his head coach shared that there was more to his team than just one man.

“We’ve got guys for starting roles that are in supportive roles,” said coach Mick Cronin, who at Big East media day in October told me that Carnesecca “warms up pretty quick, but that doesn’t make it any easier to win.”  “I think we’re getting better,” Cronin revealed after the game.  “Our team is really the sum of our parts.”  Cronin’s role players made vital contributions, with Larry Davis contributing nine points while Justin Jackson added eight points and six rebounds off the bench for the Bearcats, who took a 28-22 halftime lead into the locker room by ending the opening stanza on an 11-0 run.

For St. John’s, this was a game of what might have been.  The Johnnies failed to shoot at least 70 percent from the free throw line for the first time since their devastating road loss to Fordham last month, only converting at a 46 percent clip.  (12-for-26)  Dwight Hardy; who was one of only two Johnnies in double figures with 10 points, went to the line with 34 seconds left and the Red Storm up 51-50.  It was the only attempt of the night for Hardy, a 91 percent free throw shooter, and it rimmed out off the front iron.  “I should have made the shot,” stated a brutally honest Hardy after the game after mentioning that he had no ill effects from an apparent ankle injury suffered in Wednesday night’s loss against Louisville.  “We didn’t capitalize.”  Head coach Steve Lavin was more conciliatory in his postgame remarks, adding that his team “played so well, and that’s what makes the loss so heartbreaking.  Our better days are ahead.  We just have to bounce back.  It was the free throw shooting that reared its head tonight.”

St. John’s continues its stretch of eight ranked opponents on Wednesday night when they invade the Verizon Center for the second of three home-and-home series this season, this one coming against Georgetown.  St. John’s defeated the Hoyas 61-58 on January 3rd at Madison Square Garden for what was then their third Big East victory in as many conference games.  The Johnnies conclude the month of January at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” by hosting 5th-ranked reigning national champion Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski on Sunday afternoon at the Garden.

Continuing our new tradition, here now are some lasting impressions from tonight’s showdown on the corner of Union and Utopia.

Lasting Impressions

• Of course, the biggest contributor to Cincinnati’s victory was St. John’s 12-of-26 performance from the free throw line.  However, the Bearcats almost handed the game away on more than one occasion themselves.  Cincinnati committed 17 turnovers which led to 20 Red Storm points; and although they outrebounded the Johnnies 39-25, the majority of those rebounds were on the defensive glass resulting from missed shots, a point reiterated after the game by Steve Lavin.
• Lavin decided to give Sean Evans some significant minutes during the first half, and that decision had mixed effects.  Evans gutted his way to a six-point performance, but was unable to shake his free throw demons, only making four of his seven attempts.  Justin Burrell also had a productive game off the bench with seven points and ten rebounds.
• Once again, Malik Boothe and Malik Stith were on the court together for long stretches in the first half, and Cincinnati took advantage of the shorter backcourt in the midst of their 11-0 run to close out the first half.  Some people may also be surprised that Dele Coker did not come in after Mick Cronin turned to Anthony McClain late in the opening half for Cincinnati.
• From the opening tip, you could tell that it wasn’t D.J. Kennedy’s night.  The senior missed both of his first free throw attempts on the way to an uncharacteristic 4-for-8 night at the charity stripe.  Kennedy did drain two threes in the second half to finish with 10 points, but it was clearly not the best basketball that “The Hitman” has played in his career.
• Finally, it may be too early to start talking about bubble teams; but if the season ended today, one team would definitely be in while the other would be a judgment call.  Cincinnati finally got another quality win that some critics will argue eluded them since their drubbing of Dayton earlier in the season, while St. John’s now loses some of the luster from their upset wins over Notre Dame and Georgetown.  Right now, the Johnnies still have the RPI and strength of schedule to get them in, but it doesn’t get any easier down the stretch.