Dec. 15, 2007

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes |  Photo Gallery 

QUEENS, N.Y. - On a day where St. John's (4-2) honored its storied past at the 100 Years of Basketball Symposium, it was the Niagara Purple Eagles (5-3) that made history. In the 98th meeting between the two Vincentian schools, Niagara recorded its second-ever win in St. John's Carnesecca Arena in 23 tries and 47 years, posting a 77-73 victory on Saturday in Queens.

A back-and-forth affair boiled down to the last four minutes, when Niagara's Anthony Nelson converted on a 3-point play that erased what was a five-point St. John's lead and tied the contest, 64-64. A Larry Wright jumper gave St. John's a 68-66 momentary advantage at 2:59, but it was a 3-pointer by Purple Eagle Demetrius Williamson only 14 seconds later that gave Niagara an advantage it would not relinquish. Down 75-70 with 21 seconds to play, Wright nailed a long 3-pointer to cut the lead to two, and Niagara's Tyrone Lewis made the front end of a one-and-one to make it 76-73. Up three with 14 second to play, the Purple Eagles gave Red Storm senior Eugene Lawrence a tough look at a long ball with four seconds on the clock, but the attempt fell short off the front iron.

St. John's looked rusty in its first contest after a near two-week hiatus for fall semester finals. The Red Storm committed 18 turnovers in the game and made only 9-of-16 free throws (56.3 percent), despite entering the matchup as the BIG EAST's second-best team from the charity stripe (72.1 percent). Sluggish on the defensive end, St. John's committed 28 fouls and sent the Purple Eagles to the free throw line 46 times, of which they made 32 (.696).

Rookie forwards Justin Burrell (13 points, 10 rebounds) and D.J. Kennedy (10 points, 11 rebounds) each posted double-doubles. Despite fouling out with 3:41 to play, Burrell's double-double was his fourth in five games. Wright led the Red Storm with 18 points, including a 4-of-7 mark from long range, while Paris Horne chipped in with a career-high four 3-pointers and totaled a career-high 12 points. Senior captain Lawrence scored 11 points with three assists, three boards and two steals.

Burrell paced the Red Storm with eight points and seven boards in a see-saw first half. St. John's led by as many as six points early in the stanza, but Niagara's Charron Fisher, who entered the contest tied for the national scoring lead (27.0 points per game), kept the Purple Eagles close with 12 points and seven rebounds (five offensive). Niagara took a one-point lead at 31-30 when Tyrone Lewis hit a 3-pointer with 3:25 to play, but the Red Storm's Malik Boothe and Kennedy connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to regain the advantage. Despite 11 first half turnovers, St. John's led at the break, 38-36.

For Niagara, Fisher finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds, while Stanley Hodge had 17 with seven boards, Lewis had 14 points and Nelson 12.

St. John's next travels to Hawaii for the first time in 31 years to participate in the 44th Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. The Red Storm faces the Ohio Bobcats (6-3) on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 10 p.m. EST. Injured forward Anthony Mason Jr., who has missed five games with a high ankle sprain, as well as now-eligible redshirt freshman Rob Thomas, are both expected to play in the Rainbow Classic opener.

Live streaming audio of St. John's Rainbow Classic games, along with daily postcards, photo galleries, journal entries and game reports, will be available online at RedStormSports.com's "Aloha From Hawaii" page.