St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
9-13, 3-8
Miami*
17-4, 6-4
St. John's Comeback Attempt Spoiled, Miami Wins 85-74
2/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The Red Storm's comeback attempt fell short tonight as the Miami Hurricanes defeated St. John's 85-74 in BIG EAST action. The Red Storm fall to 9-13 overall and 3-8 in the conference, while Miami improves to 17-4 and 6-4.
After trailing by as many as 24 in the second half, St. John's fired back and cut the lead to six. Solid free throw shooting by the 'Canes down the stretch allowed them to hold on for the win.
Miami pulled out to an early 10-4 lead after Melissa Knight intercepted a pass and converted the lay-up on the opposite end. Six minutes later, Kim MacMillan sank back-to-back threes, cutting the lead to 16-14 midway through the first. Knight responded with five straight points for Miami, giving them a 21-14 advantage.
On the next play, Danielle Chambers grabbed an offensive board and sank a lay-up. Kati Kurtosi connected on two free throws on the next play for St. John's, bringing the Red Storm back within three.
A series of free throws by Shemika Stevens, Miami's Chanivia Broussard and Chambers kept it close before Kurtosi's two tied the game at 23 all. Yalonda McCormick's basket on the next play kicked off a 10-0 Miami run, which was eventually snapped by Kurtosi. Back-to-back baskets by MacMillan and Chambers cut the lead to 33-29 with just over one minute to play in the half. The teams traded baskets before Knight's fade-away three-pointer at the buzzer gave Miami a 38-31 lead at the break.
The Hurricanes pulled out to their largest lead, a 24 point advantage with 9:45 to play in the second period on a lay-up by Tatjana Marincic, which concluded a 16-2 Miami run. Four-straight free throws from Angie Clark started the Red Storm come-back on the next play. Two possessions later, Shemika Stevens took control, knocking down nine-straight points for St. John's, before Nora Gyuris connected on her first three of the season, capping a 12-0 St. John's run.
Broussard's two free throws ended a four-minute scoreless streak by Miami, but the Red Storm answered with four-straight points to cut the lead to seven with just under four minutes to play. Less than one minute later, with the Hurricanes up 73-62, MacMillan connected on a four-point play and Chambers followed with one of two free throws, bringing St. John's within six.
The teams traded baskets to keep it at six, before Miami pulled ahead with six-straight free throws. MacMillan's three with 36.9 remaining had St. John's back within nine, but Miami's Marincinc sank two free throws to ice the game for the Hurricanes.
MacMillan led four St. John's players in double-figures with 20 points. Stevens finished with 17, while Kurtosi and Clark added 14 and 12, respectively. Miami was led by 21 points from Tamara James.
St. John's is back in action on Tuesday, February 17 when they host Notre Dame.
