St. John's University Athletics
St. John's to Host Providence in Sunday Matinee
2/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
QUEENS, N.Y. - Following a 75-50 loss to the Creighton Bluejays on Friday night, the Red Storm will look to rebound with a Sunday matinee against the Providence Friars. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 with the opening tip set for 2 p.m.
RED STORM QUICK HITS
Freshman guard Crystal Simmons turned in the best performance of her career against the Bluejays on Friday night, tallying a career-high 11 points. The Madrid, Spain, native converted on four of her seven shot attempts from the floor and three of her five tries from beyond the arc. Simmons also grabbed two rebounds in just 12 minutes of action.
Following the Red Storm's game on Friday night, Aliyyah Handford has 1,300 points for her career, putting her in 10th place on the St. John's career list. With eight points against the Bluejays, the Newark, N.J., native passed Jackie Smith (1,298 points).
On Friday evening, the scoring combo of Aliyyah Handford and Danaejah Grant combined for its lowest output of the season, putting up just 15 points against the Bluejays. The game marked only the second time this season that either player, who rank first and third in the conference in scoring, respectively, failed to reach double digits in a given game. Prior to Friday, Handford and Grant were putting up an average of 38.7 points per game, the third-highest output of any teammate pair in the nation.
The leading rebounder in program history, Amber Thompson has been among the top glass-cleaners in the country this season. The Newark, N.J., native is averaging 11 rebounds per game, good enough for tops in the BIG EAST and 14th in the nation. With 957 rebounds for her career, the senior forward is just 43 boards shy of becoming the first player in St. John's history to reach the 1,000 rebound plateau.
SCOUTING PROVIDENCE
With a 5-18 record overall and a 2-10 mark in BIG EAST, Providence ranks ninth in the latest BIG EAST standings.
Providence enters the Sunday matinee following a 67-40 loss to Seton Hall on Friday night.
The Friars feature two active players that are averaging double figures, Alexis Harris (11.6 ppg) and Sarah Beal (10.2 ppg). Harris also leads the team in rebounding at 7.1 boards per game.
ST. JOHN'S VS. PROVIDENCE- THE SERIES
Providence is the second-most frequently played opponent in St. John's history, as the two teams have faced off 61 times since 1978.
St. John's picked up a win at Providence earlier in the season, storming back from a double-digit deficit to down the Friars 68-52 on Dec. 30.
The Red Storm has emerged victorious in nine straight and 14 of the last 15 against the Friars.
