St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Hosts UMBC at Carnesecca Arena
11/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FOX Sports Go | | Game Notes | Media Guide | Tickets
QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's returns to the hardwood Monday at Carnesecca Arena hosting UMBC for the opening round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational at 7 p.m. The Red Storm will look to carry momentum from its spirited 66-57 victory over Wagner that began the Chris Mullin Era this past Friday in Queens.
Justin Kutcher and Jim Spanarkel have the call for Monday's national telecast on FS1. St. John's radio broadcast with John Minko and Brandon Tierney will air on 970 AM (WNYM) and through the TuneIn app.
The Maui Invitational Championship Round runs from Nov. 23-25 at Lahaina Civic Center. St. John's is making its first appearance in the 32nd annual tournament. The Red Storm is paired with No. 18/20 Vanderbilt for its first contest in Hawaii.
St. John's (1-0) is coming off its 12th straight home opening victory dating back to 2003-04. Freshman guard Federico Mussini (Reggio Emilia, Italy) poured in a game-high 18 points and hit four 3-pointers to lift the Red Storm past the Seahawks.
Mussini was one of seven players making their St. John's debut before 4,677 fans at Carnesecca Arena on Friday. Graduate transfer Durand Johnson (Baltimore, Md.) scored 12 points, matched a team-high with eight rebounds and delivered the assist for Mussini's key 3-pointer with 1:15 remaining that helped seal the victory. Mussini was one of four BIG EAST freshmen to lead their team in scoring on opening night.
Freshman Yankuba Sima (Girona, Spain) finished with eight points on 4-of-6 shooting to go with eight boards, while classmate Malik Ellison (Voorhees, N.J.) had seven points going 2-for-3 from downtown. Graduate transfer Ron Mvouika (Paris, France) was a spark off the bench leading St. John's reserves with nine points and four rebounds.
UMBC (0-1) is on the tail end of a two-game road trip. The Retrievers were edged, 78-73, at Wake Forest on Friday despite a 20-point, five-assist performance from sophomore guard Jourdan Grant. UMBC guards Rodney Elliott and Malcolm L. Brent each finished with 13 points in the setback.
St. John's is in the middle of a three-game home stretch. The Red Storm hosts Rutgers on Thursday for the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff Games before departing for Maui.
About the Series with UMBC
- St. John's owns a 2-0 record versus UMBC.
- The Red Storm is 15-3 all-time versus the current members of the America East.
Both St. John's wins over UMBC were at Carnesecca Arena, including an 82-59 triumph in the programs last meeting on Nov. 13, 2011.
