St. John’s Dominates Lafayette, 76-44, in Home Opener

Wednesday, November 13

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

7:00 p.m.

St. John's University

2-0,0-0Big East

Lafayette

1-2,0-0Patriot

Lafayette

St. John's (NY)

St. John’s Dominates Lafayette, 76-44, in Home Opener

11/13/2019 11:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF) Photo Gallery Highlights Postgame Press Conference POSTGAME QUOTES: St. John's vs. Lafayette

Qadashah Hoppie leads the team with 22 points

By: Victoria Lanza

Behind a 22-point performance from Qadashah Hoppie, the St. John's women's basketball team defeated Lafayette by 32 points, 76-44, in the team's home opener on Wednesday evening.

Hoppie, who eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth time in her career, also brought down three rebounds, dished out three assists and swiped a pair of steals in the Red Storm's win. The junior guard tied her career high for shots from beyond the arc, connecting on five of her seven three-point attempts.

Two other starters finished in double figures for St. John's as senior Alisha Kebbe recorded 15 points while Tiana England scored 10. England also swiped a team-high six steals while registering five rebounds and four assists for the Johnnies.

Kadaja Bailey was a force off the glass for St. John's, pulling down a game-high nine rebounds to go along with seven points and two assists.

The Johnnies put forth a spectacular defensive effort, forcing 20 Lafayette turnovers and converting those miscues into 20 points. In addition, the Red Storm swiped 10 steals.

"I thought that was the most energy we've played with," Head Coach Joe Tartamella said. "We did a great job disrupting today and I was pleased with the entire effort. We had a long layoff after the first game, so this was a big game for us."

The Red Storm's 32-point margin of victory was the program's highest since the Johnnies, 82-44 drubbing of Delaware State in the team's home opener a season ago.

Hoppie got the scoring started for the Red Storm with a shot from beyond the arc off the team's opening drive. This started an early 10-2 run for the Red Storm, as the Johnnies kept Lafayette off the board for the nearly three minutes.

The Leopards continued to inch their way back, pulling the game to within one, 13-12, with under three minutes to play in the first frame. The Red Storm battled back, rattling off a 9-2 run down the stretch to lead, 22-14, after 10 minutes of action.

The two programs traded blows in the early going of the second quarter until the Johnnies went off on an 8-0 streak to lead, 37-21, with just under five minutes left in the half. The Red Storm maintained its double-digit lead entering the locker room with a 39-25 edge.

At the break, Hoppie led the Red Storm in scoring with 14 points, draining three of her five tries from long distance. Kebbe registered nine points and three boards through the first 20 minutes of action.

On the other end of the half, the Leopards scored the opening bucket off a trip to the charity stripe to get things started. The Johnnies answered as Kebbe, Alston and England strung together seven unanswered points to give St. John's a 20-point lead, 46-26. The Red Storm continued to control the offensive momentum over the remainder of the frame, leading, 58-36, through three quarters of play.

Leading by 22 after 30 minutes of action, the Red Storm dominated the fourth frame, outscoring Lafayette by a margin of 18-8.

After one game at home, the Red Storm will hit the road again this weekend, traveling to Harrisonburg, Va., for a showdown with James Madison on Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.