St. John's University Athletics
Women's Basketball Ranked No. 25 In AP Poll
2/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2010
QUEENS, N.Y. - After receiving votes 10 of 11 weeks during the regular season, the St. John's women's basketball team is now ranked in the Associated Press Poll for the first time this year, earning 78 points to claim the No. 25 spot in this week's poll.
The Red Storm is off to one of its best starts in history with an 18-3 overall and 6-2 BIG EAST mark, including five straight wins. The team's 18-3 record marks the best start under the direction of eighth-year head coach Kim Barnes Arico.
"We are really excited to be ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll," said Barnes Arico. "I am really proud of the team and what they have accomplished so far this season. We still have some tough games left in BIG EAST play, but we are going to enjoy this moment and then focus on playing No. 18 Georgetown Tuesday night."
St. John's enters the Top 25 Poll for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign, when it was ranked No. 23 in the AP Poll and No. 24 in the Coaches Poll on Feb. 6, 2006, in week 13. That year was a breakthrough season for the Red Storm and Barnes Arico, as the team earned its first NCAA Tournament berth in nearly 20 years.
The Red Storm is coming off a pair of victories over Syracuse and Providence last week. STJ defeated the Orange in a down-to-the-wire game that ended in a 68-65 victory for the Red Storm on Jan. 27 at the Carrier Dome. Shenneika Smith scored 28 points in the game, knocking down the game-tying and go-ahead free throws with seven seconds left in regulation. On Jan. 30, STJ cruised to the 70-46 win over Providence at Carnesecca Arena. Joy McCorvey had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and freshman Eugeneia McPherson added 12 points off the bench.
Sophomore Da'Shena Stevens, the 2009 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, picked up right where she left off last season, leading the team with 14.4 points per game and ranking second with 7.6 boards per game. Smith is second in scoring with 12.1 points per game and has reached double-figures in scoring 14 times this season.
St. John's RPI is currently the 19th best in the nation and the fifth best among BIG EAST schools, according to the report released Feb. 1 by the NCAA.
The Red Storm will open a two-game road trip on Tuesday when it travels to face No. 18 Georgetown at 8 p.m.
