St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
6-3
Fordham
7-4
St. John's Pulls Away from Fordham, 59-45
12/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BRONX, N.Y. - With the game tied at 43 early in the fourth quarter, the St. John's women's basketball team closed out the contest on a 16-2 run to pull away from Fordham, 59-45, securing its fourth-straight win Tuesday night at Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx.
"This was a great win overall. Especially against a team that was undefeated at home up to this point," said Head Coach Joe Tartamella. "We knew coming in they had a lot of confidence and that they've played well here against some tough teams in their non-conference [schedule]. We have a lot of respect for this program. I was really pleased with how we played."
Jade Walker led all players with 18 points and eight rebounds, but it was her defense late in the game that was the difference. Walker drew a charge with 3:19 to play and the Johnnies leading 57-45, shutting the door on a comeback attempt.
Alisha Kebbe chipped in a season-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor to go along with seven rebounds, two steals and a block. Aaliyah Lewis added nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
In the first quarter, St. John's (6-3) opened the game on a 6-0 run. Fordham (7-3) later tied it at nine before taking a 14-13 lead into the first intermission.
Then, in the second with the Red Storm trailing 20-19 late in the quarter, St. John's closed the period with an 8-2 burst to bring a 27-22 lead into halftime. Kebbe and Lewis drained back-to-back threes before Walker hit a jumper before the end of the period.
In the third, Fordham opened the quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 30-27 lead with 7:34 to play in the period. St. John's answered with a quick 6-0 burst to retake the lead, 33-30. With less than a minute left in the quarter, the Rams hit a pair of free throws to make it a two-point game, 41-39, but Lewis drained a jumper in the final seconds, giving St. John's a 43-39 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Fordham scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, but St. John's took control and put the game out of reach. With the Johnnies leading 47-45, the defense held the Rams without a point over the final 6:14 of the fourth. The Red Storm used a 10-0 run to pull away for its fourth-straight win overall and third-straight against Fordham.
For the game, St. John's shot 43.1 percent from the floor, converting on 25-of-58 tries. Defensively, the Red Storm held Fordham to just 32.7 percent from the field and caused 18 turnovers. St. John's limited the Rams' leading scorer and rebounder, G'mrice Davis, to just six rebounds and four points. Davis entered the game averaging more than 12 points and 12 rebounds per contest.
St. John's returns to action on Saturday, hosting Wagner at Carnesecca Arena. The first tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN3.
