St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Heads to Marist on Monday
11/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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St. John's Game Notes
QUEENS, N.Y. - Fresh off its second-straight win to kick off the season, the St. John's Red Storm heads to Marist for a match up with the 11-time defending MAAC regular-season champs on Monday at 7 p.m.
QUICK HITS
The back-court combo of Aliyyah Handford and Danaejah Grant put forth another stellar performance against Florida on Tuesday, combining for 53 of the team's 72 points in a 72-66 victory over the Gators. Handford set a career-high with 25 field goal attempts, converting on 12. Grant also set a career-high in the home-opener, making ten of her 13 attempts from the charity stripe to help seal the win down the stretch. The pair became the first St. John's players to score 20 or more in the same game since Shenneika Smith (27) and Da'Shena Stevens (20) against Liberty on Feb. 16, 2011.
Against the Gators, senior forward Amber Thompson registered another dominant effort in the paint, collecting 10 rebounds and four blocks in the win. On the young season, Thompson is averaging 12 rebounds and three blocks per outing.
Despite playing only 18 minutes due to early foul trouble, Jade Walker displayed why Joe Tartamella said she can be the breakout player in the BIG EAST this season. The Maplewood, N.J., native tallied 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, helping lift the Red Storm to victory.
During each of its first two contests this season, the Red Storm has proven to be a terrific first-half team. Against Yale, the Red Storm carried a 10-point lead into the intermission and led by 14 at the half against Florida. As a team, St. John's is shooting over 46 percent from the floor in the opening stanza.
SCOUTING THE RED FOXES
A perennial mid-major power, the Marist Red Foxes have won at least a share of the last 11 MAAC regular season titles, also taking home nine conference tournament crowns during that stretch.
The Red Foxes have made an appearance in every NCAA Tournament since 2006, reaching as far as the Sweet 16 in 2007.
Marist is just one of 19 teams in Division I (including St. John's) to reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons.
This year, the Red Foxes are off to an uncharacteristically slow start, dropping their first two decisions to Delaware and Northeastern.
Madeline Blais has paced the Red Foxes so far in the early going, pouring in 19.5 points and grabbing 6.5 boards per outing. The 6-1 junior from Exeter, N.H., was named to the preseason All-MAAC First Team, having led the conference with a three-point percentage of .481 and converting at a .538 clip from the floor last season. Through two games this year, however, Blais has hit just five of her 17 attempts from beyond the arc.
Marist's biggest struggle this season has come on the glass, pulling in just 32.5 rebounds per game. Through two contests, the Red Foxes are being outrebounded by an average of 11.5 boards.
RED STORM VS. RED FOXES - THE SERIES
Monday will be the fourth meeting all-time between the Red Storm and the Red Foxes and the first since 2010.
In the last meeting between the two teams, Da'Shena Stevens tallied 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead the 14th-ranked Red Storm to a 64-50 win in Manhattan, Kan.
Overall, St. John's leads the series 2-1.
In non-neutral site meetings between the Red Storm and the Red Foxes, the home team is undefeated.
