St. John’s Wins Seventh-Straight with Victory Over Niagara

Saturday, November 26

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

2 p.m.

St. John's University

7-0,0-0Big East

Niagara

3-3,0-0MAAC

Niagara

St. John's (NY)

St. John’s Wins Seventh-Straight with Victory Over Niagara

11/26/2022 6:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Play-by-Play (PDF)Photo Gallery VIDEO: Postgame Press Conference VIDEO: Highlights Postgame Quotes Photo Gallery

Joel Soriano sets career highs with 21 points and 19 rebounds in a 78-70 victory over the Purple Eagles on Saturday at Carnesecca Arena

QUEENS, N.Y. – Joel Soriano delivered a career performance on Saturday, going for 21 points and 19 rebounds to help lift the St. John's men's basketball team to a 78-70 victory over Niagara (3-3). The Red Storm improved to a perfect 7-0 on the season with the win, which is the program's best start since the 2018-19 campaign. It also marked the 23^rd-straight non-conference victory at Carnesecca Arena, a streak that dates back to Head Coach Mike Anderson's first season leading the Johnnies in 2019-20.

Soriano's 20-plus points and 19 boards is the first of its kind for a St. John's player since Shawnelle Scott went for 20 points and 19 rebounds against Seton Hall on Feb. 17, 1993. The Yonkers native has now recorded a Division I best six double-doubles in seven contests this season and leads the nation averaging 12.7 rebounds per contest. Soriano's stellar performance on Saturday capped a three-game stretch where the senior center averaged 18.3 points shooting 57.1 percent from the floor to go with 15.0 rebounds per game.

In total, five Johnnies scored double figures against the Purple Eagles, as O'Mar Stanley, Dylan Addae-Wusu, Montez Mathis and David Jones each recorded 10 points. Stanley shot 4-for-6 from the field and grabbed six rebounds in his first career start after Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team selection Posh Alexander was ruled out due to concussion protocol. Addae-Wusu went 4-for-7 from the floor to go with four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 27 minutes off the bench. It was the seventh double-digit scoring effort for Jones in as many games as a Johnnie, while Mathis reached double figures for the fourth time this season.

The Red Storm outscored the Purple Eagles in fast break points, 33-13, as well as in points off of turnovers, 27-11. St. John's also forced Niagara into 17 miscues while committing only seven turnovers in the contest.

Andre Curbelo opened the scoring for the Johnnies, posting six of the team's first 10 points to take an early advantage just over two minutes into the contest that St. John's would not relinquish. A Soriano slam in transition followed by Addae-Wusu's layup capped an 8-0 run that put the Red Storm on top 16-8 at the 13:36 mark in the opening frame.

St. John's led by as many as 14 in the first half after the Johnnies scored nine straight points. AJ Storr's three-point play jumpstarted the scoring spurt and Soriano topped it off with a mid-range jumper that gave the Red Storm a 30-16 advantage at 6:21.

The Johnnies entered halftime with a 37-28 lead.

The Red Storm opened the second half on a 14-4 run, as Stanley finished the stretch with a highlight reel one-handed slam to push the Johnnies ahead 51-32. However, Niagara slowly chipped away at its 19-point deficit and got within five with 8:11 remaining after scoring 12 straight points. St. John's countered with a pair of free-throws by Stanley, Mathis' 3-pointer and Addae-Wusu's steal and breakaway layup to go back up 12. The Purple Eagles did not get closer than eight the rest of the way.

The Red Storm completes a stretch of eight games in New York City on Tuesday when the Johnnies host LIU at 6:30 p.m. inside Carnesecca Arena. A live national telecast can be seen on FS1.