St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
9-1
Rhode Island
4-6
Storm Surges To 69-44 Win Over Rhode Island
12/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - Two Red Storm players posted double-digit scoring performances and one player tallied a double-double as the St. John's women's basketball team won its ninth game of the year with a 69-44 victory over Rhode Island on Sunday afternoon at Carnesecca Arena.
"We did a great job on the defensive end today," said coach Kim Barnes Arico. "That's something we've really been stressing. We didn't finish the game strong, but we came out and gave Rhode Island a lot of pressure. They are a really well-coached team. We did what we wanted to do, and I'm proud of the effort that we gave today."
With the win, the Red Storm's record improves to 9-1, while the Rams' record dropped to 4-6.
Da'Shena Stevens scored 14 second-half points to finish with a game-high 16 points. The sophomore was 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. Rookie Shenneika Smith had a 10-point performance, going 4-of-13 from the field and 2-of-2 from 3-point range. Smith also added four rebounds, two assists and two steals in the win.
Senior Joy McCorvey recorded a double-double with a 10-point, 15-rebound effort. She scored six of her points in the opening half and finished the game with a 5-of-13 performance from the field. Her 15 rebounds were a new career high for the Brewton, Ala., native. Centhya Hart had a strong effort in the game and nearly posted a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
The Red Storm got off to a quick start in the game, opening with a 10-3 run. After URI scored consecutive baskets to cut the deficit down to three, STJ used a 16-2 run to jump ahead 26-9. The Rams closed out the half scoring four unanswered points to cut the STJ lead to 13, 26-13.
St. John's surged out of the break, using a 17-2 run to take a 43-15 lead. Stevens scored nine points during the stretch. Rhode Island tried to get its offense back into motion by going on an 8-4 run, but the Red Storm used a 17-4 run to reclaim momentum and take a 64-27 lead. St. John's offense continued to excel the remainder of the game and the Rams could not match the Red Storm's efforts.
The Red Storm will continue its homestand when it hosts the St. John's-Chartwells Holiday Classic Dec. 19-20. On Dec. 19, the Red Storm will face Texas-Arlington at 1 p.m., and Virginia Tech will face UAB at 3 p.m. On Dec. 20, the consolation game will take place at noon and the championship game will be held at 2 p.m.
