St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Women's Basketball Recognized In AP Poll
11/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - After dominating in its season-opener with an 89-52 win over Stony Brook on Sunday, the St. John's women's basketball team has been recognized by the Associated Press and is receiving three votes in the Top 25 Poll.
The win marked the 25th time in history that the Red Storm started a season with a victory. Since its inaugural season in 1974-75, STJ is 25-11 in its season-opening contests.
Against Stony Brook, the Red Storm offense got going early and often. STJ shot 52.4 percent from the field in the game, including a 54.5 percent clip in the first half. The Red Storm outscored the Seawolves 48-14 in the opening frame, including holding SBU to a 14.3 field goal percentage. STJ also took advantage of Stony Brook miscues, scoring 37 points off turnovers in the contest.
Da'Shena Stevens, the reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, picked up right where she left off last season, pouring in a game-high 22 points over the Seawolves. Her 22 points in the contest, which included 14 in the first half, are the second-highest in history for the Stamford, Conn., native. The sophomore was highly effective from the field, going 9-of-10, and she also recorded three steals.
Shenneika Smith had a stellar debut in her first game with STJ, finishing as the team's second-leading scorer with 17 points. The freshman scored 10 second-half points and finished the game going 7-of-15 from the field, 2-of-2 from long distance and 1-of-4 from the free-throw line. Smith was also strong on the glass, grabbing eight boards, and she recorded a game-high three blocks.
Junior Sky Lindsay rounded out the double-figure scorers for the Red Storm, contributing 10 points in the victory. The junior was 4-of-10 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. Senior Joy McCorvey also had a strong performance, coming close to a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. Junior Centhya Hart was strong off the bench, coming close to scoring in double figures with nine points, while grabbing five rebounds.
All five freshmen saw action in the contest and every player on the Red Storm bench played in the game.
The Red Storm will look to continue its winning ways on Wednesday when it travels to face Massachusetts at 5:30 p.m.
