St. John’s started slow.
But the Red Storm found their game late in the first half and cruised to an 89-66 victory over Stony Brook Sunday afternoon at Carnesecca Arena.
Junior Greg Williams Jr. netted a game-high 21 points, sophomore Julian Champagnie tallied 16 points, and junior Isaih Moore added 12 points for St. John’s, which improved to 4-1.
Five TakeAways:
A Slow Start: Similar to their loss to BYU, St. John’s struggled to find its rhythm early on. Stony Brook was leading the rebounding battle, took advantage of turnovers, and was able to shoot at a high-percentage.
A Perfect Afternoon for a Run: The Red Storm like to run and play fast. Down 33-27, St. John’s closed the first half on a 22-2 rally to take a 49-35 lead at the break. The home team shot 8-of-11 from the field, 3-of-4 from three, and out rebounded the visitors. William’s Jr. led the stretch with nine points.
Active Hands: St. John’s recorded 20 steals and 33 points off turnovers. William’s Jr. registered a season-high with six, freshman Posh Alexander recorded four, Moore and Champagnie logged three, and graduate student Arnaldo Toro and junior Vince Cole added two apiece. Williams Jr. seems to make an impact on both ends every time he is on the floor. The rest of the team’s effort on the defensive-end helped with the turnaround.
Have a Day Greg Williams Jr.: Touched on in two of the other points for his play during the first-half run and his solid play on the defensive-end, William’s Jr. continues to elevate his game. The junior scored a season-high 21 points, on 8-of-11 shooting (72.7%), 3-of-5 from downtown, grabbed four rebounds, and tallied six steals. The home team need a lift today and like he has done serval times this season, Williams Jr. has provided the spark.
Always Ready: This 2020 season will bring changes for everyone in the college basketball world. This week, the Red Storm took on a game against BYU, had games against Texas Tech, Sacred Heart, and Fordham canceled, and added games against Stony Brook and Rider. In the craziness, St. John’s managed to play a good BYU team tough and took care of business today at home. In each game, a different player has stepped up, and the young team is getting valuable experience for the open of Big East play Dec.11. With a 4-1 record, St. John’s has shown no matter the opponent, they will be a hardnosed opponent and no matter what is happening on offense, it will always make a team earn points when its on defense.
The Red Storm host Rider Tuesday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. at Carnesecca Arena.
