St. John's University Athletics
Nets Top 76ers, 110-88, At Newly-Renovated Carnesecca Arena
10/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 24, 2009
- New Video: Nets Head Coach Lawrence Frank and rookie swingman Terrence Williams discuss playing at St. John's
- Box Score: Nets 110, 76ers 88
- Photo Gallery: Nets Top 76ers At Newly-Renovated Carnesecca Arena
QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's students, alumni, fans and friends took advantage of the opportunity to watch current NBA stars take the hardwood where their favorite collegiate standouts normally play, as the newly-renovated Carnesecca Arena played host to the New Jersey Nets-Philadelphia 76ers preseason game on Friday, Oct. 23.
Led by BIG EAST and University of Louiville alum Terrence Williams, who had 23 points and eight assists, the Nets scored their first victory of the preseason, 110-88, before a crowd of 3,284.
"As the Nets prepare for their move to Brooklyn, N.Y., we were excited to give our fans and students a unique look at a NBA game," said Chris Monasch, Director of Athletics. "This game also gave our fans a first look at the completed renovation of the inside of Carnesecca Arena, with our newly-refurbished ceiling and our high-resolution video scoreboard."
"We expect wide support in Queens when we move to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in the 2011-12 season, so this game provided a special in-person preview to many new fans," said Nets CEO Brett Yormark. "We are excited about the opportunity to continue to further regionalize the franchise and look forward to an exciting game against one of our Atlantic Division rivals."
Not only did the St. John's faithful have the ability to witness NBA stars such as the Nets' Chris Douglas-Roberts, Queens' own "Skip to My Lou" Rafer Alston and the Sixers' Elton Brand, but fans in attendance on Friday had the first opportunity to check out the latest round of offseason improvements to the Red Storm's on-campus home, Carnesecca Arena. Last summer's Phase II renovations included a new playing surface, an overhauled seating bowl with 800 chairback seats, and enhanced ticketing and lobby areas. This summer's changes included the installation of a new video scoreboard and sound system, a refurbishing of the arena ceiling, and the implementation of a new lighting system. Red Storm fans will enjoy the new enhancements during the 2009-10 season, beginning on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. when the Red Storm men's team takes on local squad LIU.
To support University fundraising initiatives, the Barclays Nets Community Alliance has made a generous donation to the St. John's Bread & Life soup kitchen, a facility run by the University and located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, N.Y., where St. John's University was founded. The arrangement has helped St. John's Bread and Life roll out its newly upgraded Mobile Soup Kitchen, painted "basketball orange," with slogans and logos to note that Barclays Nets Community Alliance, a partnership of Barclays, Nets Basketball and Forest City Ratner Companies, is its sponsor for the next year. For more information or to make a contribution to St. John's Bread & Life, please visit www.breadandlife.org.
