Cole’s Heroics Lift St. John’s Past Saint Peter’s, 76-75

Wednesday, November 25

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

1-0

Saint Peter's

0-1

Saint Peter's

St. John's

Cole’s Heroics Lift St. John’s Past Saint Peter’s, 76-75

11/25/2020 10:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Red Storm Newcomer Sinks Decisive 3-Pointer in Season Opener at Carnesecca Arena

QUEENS, N.Y. – Trailing Saint Peter's by four with just 20 seconds remaining in Wednesday's season opener at Carnesecca Arena, the St. John's men's basketball team received some late heroics from Vince Cole, as the former Junior College All-American scored the game's final five points and lifted the Red Storm to a 76-75 victory.

Cole sparked the comeback, bringing the Johnnies within two on a driving layup through contact with 18 seconds to go. With Saint Peter's inbounding the ball underneath its own basket following a St. John's timeout, the Peacocks threw a long pass into the frontcourt. Freshman Posh Alexander won the ensuing foot race, beating out Daryl Banks III for his fifth steal of the game. Alexander moved the ball ahead to Greg Williams Jr., who then found Cole wide open on the left wing. Cole calmly buried his fifth three of the game, putting the Johnnies ahead by one, 76-75, with 8.5 seconds to go.

Saint Peter's had one final look at the go-ahead bucket, but Isaih Moore was able to alter the shot, grab the rebound and seal the St. John's victory in the opening game of The Lapchick Tournament.

Cole, a First Team NJCAA All-American last season at USC Salkehatchie, scored 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a 5-for-6 effort from three-point range, in his Division I debut.

Cole was not the only first-year player to shine in his St. John's debut on Wednesday night. Alexander finished the game with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, five steals and three assists. Moore, also a NJCAA All-American last season at Pearl River Community College, narrowly missed a double-double with 12 points and nine boards. The 6-foot-10 forward went 6-for-6 from the line, including a pair of crucial makes in the closing minutes of the second half.

Williams finished with six points, a career-high four steals and three assists. Graduate transfer Arnaldo Toro also scored six points in his St. John's debut, as did freshman Dylan Addae-Wusu.

As a team, Saint Peter's shot 50.8 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from beyond the arc. Four Peacocks finished in double figures, led by KC Ndefo's 16-point, seven-rebound effort. Saint Peter's, who finished second in the MAAC regular season standings a year ago, registered 21 assists on 30 made baskets.

The Johnnies, who finished second in the nation in steals a season ago, recorded 11 thefts and forced 17 turnovers in their season opener. The Red Storm also dominated the battle of the boards, outrebounding Saint Peter's by a 42-29 margin.

The Red Storm fell into an early hole, as Saint Peter's jumped out to a 9-4 lead with just two and a half minutes gone in the contest. The Johnnies clawed back thanks in large part to Cole's efforts from beyond the arc. The South Carolina native tied the game at 11 with his first triple and put the Johnnies ahead by five, 21-16, following back-to-back treys with 11:30 to go in the half.

Saint Peter's rattled off a quick 8-2 spurt to move back ahead by one just inside the midway mark of the period, but that lead would be their last of the half, as the Johnnies scored seven straight to take a 30-24 edge with 7:29 to play.

The two teams traded buckets the rest of the way before St. John's scored eight of the half's final 10 points, taking a 44-38 lead into the intermission.

Saint Peter's slowly chipped away at the St. John's lead, climbing back ahead for the first time in the second half, 53-52, on a Hassan Drame layup with 11:31 to go. The Red Storm climbed ahead by as many as four over the next few minutes but the Peacocks continued to answer.

St. John's took a two-point lead, 70-68, after Moore made a pair of free throws with 3:32 to go, but Saint Peter's responded by scoring the game's next five points, taking a 73-70 edge with a minute to play. That advantage ballooned to four with 28 seconds to go before Cole's heroics clinched the Red Storm's victory.

The Red Storm will play its final game of The Lapchick Tournament on Thursday afternoon, playing host to La Salle at 2 p.m. on FS1 and AM 970.