St. John's University Athletics
Women's Basketball Opens At Home Sunday
11/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2007
QUEENS, N.Y. - After starting off the 2007-08 season with three-straight road games, the St. John's women's basketball team finally returns to Queens to open its home schedule. The Red Storm enters the contest with a 2-1 record, including victories in its first two-contests.
• St. John's will welcome Dartmouth to Carnesecca Arena in only the second meeting between the teams. The Red Storm won the first contest, 63-53, in Hanover, N.H., on Dec. 29, 2000.
• The game will feature live stats and will also have live video and audio streamed on the internet. Fans can go to RedStormSports.com to access both features. Live stats will be free the entire season, but the streaming will be subscription-based through "StormTracker All-Access." The cost for the service is either $9.95 per month or $79.95 for the year.
• The women's basketball team is off to a solid start on the year and has already defeated a Top 25 team. On Saturday, Nov. 17, the Red Storm defeated then-No. 24 NC State, 60-55, in the opening a round of the TD Banknorth Classic in Burlington, Vt. The win over the ranked opponent was the Red Storm's first since a 76-69 win over then-No. 23 Pittsburgh on Jan. 13, 2007. The victory advanced St. John's to the championship game of the tournament.
Last Time Out • Monique McLean and Sky Lindsay each turned in a double-figure scoring contest, but that wasn't enough as St. John's lost to Vermont, 66-48, in the championship game of the TD Banknorth Classic on Nov. 18. at Patrick Gymnasium.
• McLean led the way with 11 points and came close to a double-double with a team-best nine rebounds, while Lindsay added 10 points and four assists.
• The Red Storm (2-1) offense never got into rhythm in the game and Vermont's progressively got better throughout. St. John's shot 28.8 from the field while the Catamounts averaged 38.6, including shooting 50.0 percent in the second half. St. John's also struggled on the boards, pulling down 34 rebounds compared to UVM's 52.
A Look At Dartmouth • The Big Green is off to a slow start and enters the contest in search of its first win of the year, 0-3. Dartmouth's offense hasn't been able to get into a rhythm early and that has been the difference in all three contests. Overall, the team is shooting 26.5 percent from the field, while its opponent has hit 45.2 percent.
• Senior Kristen Craft is leading the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 points. The guard is the only Dartmouth player to average double figures in points and has led the team in scoring in two of three games.
• Defensively, senior Sydney Scott is pacing the way on the glass, averaging a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore Margaret Smith is a close second in rebounding, pulling down an average of 7.3 per contest.
On Deck • After playing its first game at home, the Red Storm will hit the road to play Monmouth on Wednesday. The game will be the fourth contest away from home for St. John's this season. The meeting between the teams will be the fourth all-time, with St. John's winning all three prior outings. The series started on Jan. 6, 1982, and the second game was played the following year, Feb. 26, 1983. However, there was a substantial break between the second and third meeting, which happened 23 seasons later on Nov. 23, 2005.
McLean Named To Honor Roll • Junior Monique McLean earned the first accolade of the season for the Red Storm as she was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Nov. 19. The guard was the team's all-around leader, coming close to averaging a double-double with 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in three games. In addition, McLean garnered all-tournament honors with a team-best 28 points and 20 rebounds against NC State and Vermont. Strong all-around, she was 17-of-19 from the free throw line, including hitting 13-of-14 against the Wolfpack. Her 13 free throws tied her for fourth in the St. John's single-game record books.
Women's Hoops Enters Poll • Thanks to the 2-1 start this year, the women's basketball team entered the polls for the first time, receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 that was released on Tuesday. A solid win over then-No. 24 NC State keyed the Red Storm's inclusion among the vote-getting teams.
Two Named To All-Tourney Team • Junior Monique McLean and sophomore Joy McCorvey were named to the TD Banknorth Classic All-Tournament Team. In the two games, McLean led the team in scoring (28) and rebounding (20), while McCorvey finished second with 12 rebounds and chipped in 12 points.
A Win Would... • A win would improve the women's basketball team's overall slate to 3-1 on the year, which would mark the ninth time in history that the Red Storm would open a season with that record.
Why Free Throw Shooting Is So Key • In its victory over No. 24-ranked NC State, the Red Storm showed why it's so important to take advantage of trips to the free throw line. With the game close down the stretch, St. John's not only went to the charity stripe, but also converted on chances, hitting 10 shots in the final two-and-a-half minutes of the game.
Hitting From Downtown • Junior Kelly McManmon is not only showing what a good player she is, but also how good of a perimeter shooter she is. She is currently leading the team with a blistering 50.0 three-point field-goal percentage, nailing 7-of-14. Overall, the Lee, Mass., native is second averaging with 9.7 points per game and leads all starters with a 47.6 shooting percentage.
