St. John's University Athletics
St. John's to Host Binghamton Friday on ESPN3
11/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
QUEENS, N.Y. - Following back-to-back wins against NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago, the St. John's women's basketball team will be back in action on Friday, returning to Carnesecca Arena for a 2 p.m. contest with Binghamton.
QUICK HITS
One of the top defensive teams in the BIG EAST a season ago, the Red Storm again sports a lockdown defense in 2014-15, allowing just 54.7 points per game through its first three contests, good enough for second in the conference and 51st in the nation. A very long team with the ability to alter shots, the Red Storm leads the BIG EAST in both field goal percentage defense and blocks.
Sporting a 3-0 record heading into the contest, the Red Storm could match its start from a year ago with a win over Binghamton. 4-0 would tie the best start to a season in the Joe Tartamella era. As an assistant and associate head coach, Tartamella was a member of the coaching staff on three separate teams that started the season with seven victories (`05-`06, `08-`09, `09-`10). The school record for consecutive wins to start a season is 11, set in 2004-05.
The BIG EAST's active leader in career-rebounds, Amber Thompson currently ranks sixth in the nation in rebounds per game with 13.7. After grabbing 14 boards in the season-opener at Yale and 10 in the home-opener against Florida, the Newark, N.J., native tied a career-high with 17 rebounds in the Red Storm's victory over Marist on Monday, the last of which led to a crucial put-back in the closing minutes.
After averaging 28 points per game in the Red Storm's first two contests. Danaejah Grant was named to the NCAA's Weekly Starting Five, recognizing the best individual performances in the nation. On the season, the Piscataway, N.J., native is averaging 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, three assists and one steal per outing.
SCOUTING BINGHAMTON
Following a 63-52 loss to Niagara at home on Wednesday afternoon, the Binghamton Bearcats enter Friday's match up with a 1-3 overall record.
Binghamton has been outscored by an average margin by an average of 20 points in each of its three losses, the first of which was a 31-point loss to Akron in the season-opener.
As a team, the Bearcats have allowed their opponents to shoot nearly 46 percent from the floor, but have been more than adequate at quelling the long ball, surrendering a three-point field goal percentage defense of just 25.5 percent.
On the season, the Bearcats have suffered several setbacks on the glass, being outrebounded by an average margin of 11.8 rebounds per game.
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The Bearcats feature four players that average double figure scoring numbers, led by freshman guard Imani Watkins at 16.8 points per game.
RED STORM VS. BEARCATS - THE SERIES
Friday will be the third meeting all-time between the Red Storm and the Bearcats, with each team earning one victory.
The last meeting between the two squads came back in 2004, when St. John's escaped with a 73-72 win on the road in overtime.
The other meeting came the year before in 2003, when the Bearcats downed the Red Storm in Alumni Hall, 84-81.
