St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
12-14, 5-10BE
No. 4/4 Villanova
23-3, 13-2BE
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's | 30 | 22 | 52 |
| Villanova | 35 | 30 | 65 |
No. 4 Villanova Tops St. John's, 65-52
3/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2006
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) - Randy Foye and Allan Ray put on one final show for the home crowd.
Foye scored 14 straight points for No. 4 Villanova and finished with 21, and Ray shook off a sprained knee to score 15 in the Wildcats' 65-52 win over St. John's on Wednesday night.
Two of the most instrumental players in returning the Wildcats (23-3, 13-2 Big East) to the nation's elite, Foye and Ray took turns carrying the scoring load in each half of their final home game.
Foye hit four 3-pointers in a stretch where he scored 14 straight Villanova points in the first half that helped build a nine-point lead. Playing with a brace on his left knee after he sprained it in a loss Sunday at Connecticut, Ray showed no signs of pain while driving toward some late-game baskets that helped the Wildcats pull away.
The Red Storm (12-14, 5-10) hung tight most of the game, still within single digits with 6 1/2 minutes left. Eugene Lawrence and Lamont Hamilton each scored 15 points for the Red Storm.
Ricky Torres made his only basket of the game, a 3-pointer, midway through the half to pull St. John's within 46-39. Hamilton kept the deficit at seven when he scored on a tip-in, but Ray answered any questions about his health with a dunk and Mike Nardi hit a 3 to help give the Wildcats a 17-point lead.
They cruised from there, allowing Ray and Foye to leave the court to a standing ovation and each shared a hug with coach Jay Wright. Ray scored 12 points in the second half.
Foye and Ray were the only regular starters as part of a senior night lineup. Chris Charles, Baker Dunleavy and Jason Fraser started for the Wildcats and were honored during a pregame ceremony. They were all greeted by Wright and Curtis Sumpter, who would have been part of the senior class had he not twice torn his ACL and took a medical redshirt.
St. John's shot well in the first half when it was able to hold on to the ball. Possession was a problem, with the Red Storm committing 13 turnovers in the first 12 minutes of the game. Still, it was tied until Foye took over, hitting a 3, a 19-footer, then three straight 3-pointers. Foye finished with 16 points in the first half as the Wildcats took a 35-30 lead.
