St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Faces Crosstown Squad Columbia On Saturday
12/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The St. John???s men???s basketball team (7-3, 0-0 BIG EAST) takes a five-game win streak into its final non-conference Carnesecca Arena home game of the season on Saturday when the Red Storm faces crosstown squad Columbia (6-3, 0-0 Ivy). The Red Storm meets the Lions at 7:30 p.m. in Queens, looking to post an 11th-straight win over the Ivy League school from Morningside Heights, Manhattan. The matchup airs live on 1560-AM Radio Disney, with Brandon Tierney and Tarik Turner calling the action.
??? St. John???s received 23 points from junior sharpshooter Avery Patterson and used a 15-0 first-half run to help down visiting NJIT on Thursday evening. Patterson, the BIG EAST???s leading 3-point shooter, made 5-of-12 treys and was 9-of-16 overall en route to his fourth 20-plus point effort of the season. Anthony Mason Jr. scored in double-figures for his career-best eighth-straight game, contributing nine of his 11 total points in the first half. Senior Wooden and Naismith Candidate Lamont Hamilton was limited by foul trouble early but rallied in the second period for a 10-point, four rebound effort, while rookie Larry Wright drilled a pair of 3-pointers and chipped in with nine second-half points. Fellow newcomer Qa???rraan Calhoun grabbed eight boards and led the Red Storm to a 37-27 advantage on the glass. St. John???s shot 50 percent from the field (23-of-46) and hit at a 41.7 percent clip from long range, and the Red Storm now ranks third among all BIG EAST teams in 3-point shooting (39.9 percent). Meanwhile, the St. John???s defense limited the Highlanders to 34.7 percent shooting for the game ??? the Red Storm ???D??? has held each opponent to 36.8 percent or less from the field during its five-game win streak.
??? St. John???s is 6-1 on the year and 390-68 (.852) all-time at Carnesecca Arena, which was known as Alumni Hall before being renamed in 2004-05. The Red Storm is 15-7 (.682) in Queens during the Roberts Era, including a 15-4 (.789) mark against non-conference competition.
??? Columbia is 6-3 on the season under fourth-year head coach Joe Jones. The Lions??? only three losses of the year came at Duke (Nov. 12, 86-43), at home vs. Stony Brook (Nov. 25, 54-41) and on the road against Providence (Nov. 28, 81-55). St. John???s leads the all-time series by a 15-7 margin and has won 10 in a row over the Lions dating to Dec. 11, 1979.
Storm Tracker
??? The Red Storm returns five starters for 2006-07, and with the emergence of Avery Patterson as a starter and Daryll Hill as a key ???6th man,??? St. John???s has what head coach Norm Roberts refers to as ???six starters.??? Roberts added Patterson, Larry Wright and Qa???rraan Calhoun to a cast of veterans that includes honors candidates Lamont Hamilton, Eugene Lawrence and Anthony Mason Jr.
??? Patterson has made a huge impact in the 2006-07 season???s early goings. The former junior college All-American currently paces the team in scoring at 15.4 ppg, and leads the BIG EAST with 36 3-point field goals made. Patterson is shooting 41.9 percent from long range and averages 3.6 made 3???s per game. His contributions in the Red Storm???s season-opening weekend earned the junior New York Regional MVP honors in the 2K Sports Classic, and his efforts in the semifinals and finals were rewarded with a spot on the 2K Sports All-Tournament team. Of Patterson???s 50 made field goals on the season, 36 of them are 3-pointers (72 percent).
??? Mason Jr. has been electrifying in 2006-07, attacking the rim and igniting crowds with emphatic dunks. The sophomore has been heating up lately, averaging 14.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and has shot 51.8 percent from the field in each of the last eight contests. He has reached double-figures in a career-best eight-straight games, including a career high 22 points at Niagara (Dec. 9). He has particularly excels on the grand stage of Madison Square Garden, having recorded six of his 17 career double-digits scoring games in the same building that made his father a household name with the New York Knicks.
??? Naismith and Wooden Award candidate Hamilton is averaging 11.4 points per game, while ranking among the BIG EAST leaders in rebounding (10th, 7.2 rpg) for the third straight season. He leads the Red Storm with 14 career double-doubles, having notched his last one against St. Francis (Dec. 5) with 13 points and 11 boards. Hamilton was an honorable mention All-BIG EAST Selection a season ago, a second team All-Met honoree of the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) and the recipient of the 2005-06 MBWA Madison Square Garden Outstanding Performance Award for his 24-point, eight-rebound effort in helping St. John???s defeat previously unbeaten and ninth-ranked Pitt last Jan. 21. Hamilton was a preseason All-BIG EAST performer and entered the season as the league???s eighth-best returning scorer and fourth-best returning rebounder.
??? Lawrence, the junior floor general and team captain, has continued to flash his superior all-around game in 2006-07, averaging 6.8 points, a BIG EAST-leading 5.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest. The junior came into his own last season, averaging 9.3 points, 4.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds and finished the 2005-06 season ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in assists. Lawrence currently ranks first among all BIG EAST players in assists and tied for 13th in steals per game.
??? The addition of the quick, versatile, athletic Calhoun has given the Red Storm a different look in the frontcourt, with the ability to score inside and outside. Over the last six games, the rookie has given St. John???s a lift off the bench with 5.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 1.0 bpg in 20.7 minutes.
??? Sophomore center Tomas Jasiulionis has made four starts in the last five games and has gotten involved in the offense with nine points, eight rebounds, four assists (the first of his career) and five blocks in 74 minutes. From Richmond, Va., by way of Lithuania, Jasiulionis has earned more consistent time in 2006-07 with his hustle, emotion and improved post play.
On Deck
??? St. John???s looks to win a third-straight Holiday Festival Championship on Dec. 28 and 29 at Madison Square Garden.
Kings Of Queens
??? St. John???s is back at Carnesecca Arena during the season???s opening weeks for the first time since its season-ending sell-out atmosphere vs. Rutgers last March 5. So far the raucous Queens crowd has averaged more than 4,000 fans per game (4,012) and the Red Storm has responded with a 6-1 record, a 68.6 points per game scoring average, a 46.1 percent field goal percentage and a 38.9 percent mark from 3-point range in the friendly confines of CA.
??? The Red Storm posted a 5-2 record on the Queens campus in 2005-06, contributing to its overall 10-7 home mark between all games at Carnesecca Arena and Madison Square Garden.
??? The Red Storm prospered in the friendly confines of Carnesecca Arena last season, avenging losses from 2004-05 against the likes of St. Francis (64-50, Nov. 22) and Niagara (67-61, Nov. 26). St. John???s lone setbacks of the season in Queens were a 64-51 loss at the hands of Hofstra on Nov. 29 and the March 5 loss to Rutgers (82-70).
??? St. John???s averaged 65.1 points per game in seven contests at Carnesecca Arena last year, and held opponents to a stingy 56.0 ppg for a +9.1 ppg margin of victory. The Red Storm has also averaged 43.1 rebounds per game and a +10.2 rebounding margin in games in Queens.
??? Junior guard Avery Patterson has been terrific in his first season at Carnesecca, averaging a team-leading 14.1 ppg while making 42.3 percent of his field goals, 39.7 percent of his 3-pointers and 100 percent of his free throws (10-of-10). Forward Lamont Hamilton has also excelled at CA, averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Anthony Mason Jr. is averaging 11.1 ppg and 4.3 boards, while Daryll Hill has contributed 7.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 3.5 apg at the arena in his hometown of Queens, N.Y.
Carnesecca Arena Improvements
??? While feasibility studies are currently underway toward large-scale future renovations of venerable Carnesecca Arena, alumni, visitors and fans will undoubtedly notice several immediate improvements from last season:
- Refurbished Carnesecca Court playing surface
- Two new scoreboards with LED screens for graphics, announcements and ads
- New media/rotating signage table for press row
- New team bench and press row chairs
- New black leather donor seating with STJ logos
- Improved concession areas and improved hot/cold capabilities
- Full-color lobby photos highlighting current student-athletes
Scouting Columbia
??? Columbia is 6-3 on the season, riding a three-game win streak headed into Saturday???s matchup. The Lions downed Lafayette 75-58 on Monday, Dec. 11, and took a 12-day break before visiting Carnesecca Arena. Junior forward John Baumann scored 21 points with seven rebounds in the win over the Leopards as the Lions shot 62.2 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from 3-point range.
??? A pair of Columbia players average double-figure scoring for the season, including Baumann at 12.2 ppg and 6-9 junior center Ben Nwachukwu at 12.4 ppg. Baumann leads the Lions at 7.3 rebounds per game while Nwachukwu pulls down 6.4.
??? As a team, Columbia averages 67.3 ppg and 34.9 rpg. The Lions hit at a 45.1 percent clip from the field and at a 36.9 percent mark from 3-point range. Columbia has allowed its opponents 66.7 ppg and 31.7 rebounds per outing.
??? Head coach Joe Jones is 39-51 in his fourth season at Columbia.
We???re Going Streaking!
??? The Red Storm is riding the largest win streak of the Norm Roberts Era at five games, and the keys have been outstanding defensive numbers, getting to the free throw line and solid rebounding.
??? St. John???s has not won five games in a row since its 2003 Postseason NIT run (those games have since been vacated by the NCAA) and has not put together a six-game win streak since eight-straight wins during the 1999-2000 season.
??? St. John???s has outscored opponents by an average of 71.0 ppg to 51.8 ppg ??? +19.2 points per outing.
??? The Red Storm has clamped down on opponent offenses, allowing a stingy 32.4 percent shooting mark from the field and a 25.5 percent mark from 3-point range. The Red Storm limited St. Francis (N.Y.) to 28.8 percent shooting for an opponent season low (Dec. 5). LIU was also held under 30.0 percent, at 29.5 on Nov. 28. No Red Storm opponent has shot better than 40.0 percent during the five-game win streak.
??? St. John???s has been to the free throw line 112 times during its win streak, and has allowed opposition only 87 trips to the charity stripe.
??? The Red Storm has outrebounded all but one opponent (St. Francis (N.Y.) (Dec. 5) during its five-game win streak, including +10 margins over LIU and NJIT (Dec. 21).
??? Avery Patterson has averaged 15.6 ppg during the streak, hitting 43.1 percent of his field goals, 37.8 percent of his 3-pointers and 100 percent of his free throws. He netted a career-high 26 points at Niagara (Dec. 9) and notched 23 vs. NJIT (Dec. 21).
??? Anthony Mason Jr. has scored 15.0 ppg, connecting at a 53.7 percent rate from the field, drilling 47.1 percent of his 3???s and grabbing 6.2 rebounds. Mason Jr. had a career-best 22 points at Niagara (Dec. 9) with 11 boards.
??? Lamont Hamilton has contributed 12.0 ppg over the last five wins, shooting 54.8 percent from the floor and tallying a team-high 6.4 boards. Hamilton scored a season-high 19 points against UMBC (Dec. 1) and contributed a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double against St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 5.