St. John's Visits Chicago for BIG EAST Matchup with No. 24/24 DePaul

Eager to end a three-game slide, the St. John's women's basketball team will embark on its toughest road swing of conference play, starting with a Friday night showdown against No. 24/24 DePaul at McGrath-Phillips Arena in Chicago.

The contest will be live streamed at 8 p.m. ET on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) via FOX Sports Go. Dave Bernhard and Patricia Babcock will be on the call from Chicago.

The Red Storm (8-8, 1-4 BIG EAST) looks to claim its first victory over a top-25 team during the regular season since defeating Seton Hall, 71-69, during the Johnnies' historic 2015-16 campaign. That same year the Red Storm went on to capture its first BIG EAST Championship since 1988.

St. John's looks to bounce back from a hard fought 65-63 setback at the hands of Creighton on Sunday afternoon in Queens. Using an 18-point performance from Alisha Kebbe, St. John's battled the Bluejays to the wire, tying the game at 63 with just three seconds to play before Creighton sank a late basket to cement the victory.

Kadaja Bailey also stepped up for the Johnnies in their second setback in BIG EAST play by two points or fewer, as the rookie guard scored 10 points on a 4-of-7 shooting effort from the floor to go with four rebounds.

Despite the loss, the Johnnies recorded their best shooting effort from three-point range this season, as the Red Storm knocked in eight of its 15 tries to finish with a 53.3 percent clip from beyond the arc. The Johnnies also won the turnover battle, 13-9, converting 13 Creighton miscues into 10 points. The Red Storm's nine turnovers tied for the second lowest number this season for the Johnnies, who currently rank inside the top 25 in the nation for the fewest turnovers per contest, giving up just 13.6 per game.

The Johnnies and Blue Demons will showdown for the 23rd all-time meeting, with DePaul leading the series, 17-5. The Red Storm's last victory over DePaul dates back to March 7 2016, as St. John's wreaked havoc on then ranked No. 18/18 DePaul in the BIG EAST semis to eventually win the conference crown. This also marked the last time the Johnnies defeated a nationally ranked team in the postseason.

DePaul enters Sunday's contest riding a two-game win streak, including a 66-59 overtime victory over Villanova on Sunday at Finneran Pavilion. Four of the Blue Demons' five starters scored double-figures, as Chante Stonewall led the way with 14 points. On the season, senior forward Mart'e Grays leads the team averaging 13.6 points per game.

To hold off DePaul the Johnnies are going to have to lock in defensively, as the Blue Demons rank seventh in the nation in scoring offense (82.9), which is led by their ability to shoot from beyond the arc. DePaul ranks first in the nation in three-point attempts (611) and three-point field goals made (200).

After taking on the Blue Demons, St. John's will complete its two-game stretch of facing back-to-back top-25 opponents when the Johnnies visit No. 14/13 Marquette on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at Al McGuire Center.

St. John's Visits Chicago for BIG EAST Matchup with No. 24/24 DePaul

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Players Mentioned

Kadaja Bailey

Alisha Kebbe

St. John's University Athletics