Oct. 30, 2007
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The Red Storm men's basketball team traveled to the borough of Staten Island on Monday for the annual Spirit Night and scrimmage at the St. John's S.I. campus. A spirited crowd was on hand to participate in giveaways and contests, check out the STJ Band, Dance and Cheer teams, and get an early look at their hardwood squad from Queens. The Spirit Night celebration gave Norm Roberts' young squad another live preseason scrimmage opportunity, and the crowd on hand saw the Red Team - made up of senior floor general Eugene Lawrence, freshman guard Paris Horne, freshman swingman D.J. Kennedy, rookie big man Justin Burrell and massive center Dele Coker - outlast their Black Team counterparts in a 30-minute running time see-saw affair. The Black Team was comprised of lightning-quick point guard Malik Boothe, rookie slasher Mike Cavataio, returning scoring and rebounding leader Anthony Mason Jr., junior big man Tomas Jasiulionis, freshman post player Sean Evans, and hard-working walk-on Otoja Abit, who came off the bench.
The scrimmage itself saw several ties and a host of lead changes throughout the night, but in the end the Red Team's running game proved to be the advantage. With Lawrence directing traffic, Horne and Burrell were able to convert on several chances in transition, combining for 14 second-half points. Mason Jr. brought the black team to within one on a jumper with :30 remaining in the contest, but Burrell was able to get a quick score on the other end. Boothe - who had traded 3-pointers with Lawrence earlier in the half - raced the ball up the court, but could not connect on a long 3 at the buzzer. Amisdt the action on the hardwood, several Staten Island students took home prizes, including an iPod Nano and several autographed basketballs. One Staten Island student nearly missed connecting on a half-court shot for $500. The Staten Island Caution Dance Team was also on hand to entertain their hometown crowd, and Roberts attended an alumni reception on the S.I. campus following the scrimmage to give his thoughts on the upcoming season. For men's basketball ticket information, schedules, scores and highlights, visit the Red Storm on the Internet at www.redstormsports.com. Tickets can be purchased on-line or by calling the St. John's Ticket Office at 1-888-GO-STORM. |
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