St. John's University Athletics
Friday, December 1
Morgantown, W. Va. (WVU Coliseum)
7 p.m.
St. John's University
at
West Virginia
St. John’s to Face West Virginia in BIG EAST – Big 12 Battle on Friday
11/29/2023 2:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Red Storm and West Virginia will square off on ESPN2, part of ESPN’s 17th annual V Week for Cancer Research
QUEENS, N.Y. – The Red Storm men's basketball team will play its first true road game of the season on Friday when it visits West Virginia for a BIG EAST – Big 12 Battle matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W. Va.
The contest between St. John's (4-2) and West Virginia (3-3) will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 with Chuckie Kempf and Chris Spatola calling the action. An audio broadcast of the game on the LEARFIELD Red Storm Sports Network with John Minko and Brian Mahoney will also be available on a variety of platforms including the Varsity Network App, TuneIn Radio, RedStormSports.com and the St. John's Red Storm mobile app. The radio broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 386 and the SiriusXM App.
St. John's has won three of its last four games and aims for its third-straight victory on Friday. The Johnnies are coming off back-to-back 91-point performances in wins over Utah (Nov. 19) and Holy Cross (Nov. 25). It was the first time a St. John's team scored 90-plus points in consecutive games since opening the 2021-22 season with wins over Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 9, 2021 - 119-61) and Saint Peter's (Nov. 13, 2021 - 91-70). Over the last two contests, St. John's has shot 51.7 percent (74-143 FG) from the field and 41.7 percent (20-48 3FG) from distance.
The Johnnies will make their fourth appearance in the BIG EAST - Big 12 Battle and own a 1-2 record in the event. St. John's defeated West Virginia, 70-68, in the first edition of the interconference matchup on Dec. 7, 2019, at Madison Square Garden. The Red Storm has dropped its last two contests in the series, falling to eventual national champion Kansas on Dec. 3, 2021, at UBS Arena and then at Iowa State on Dec. 4, 2022.
Through six games, St. John's ranks third in Division I averaging 17.3 offensive boards per contest. Joel Soriano has led the in the statistical category, as the Yonkers native has pulled down 4.2 offensive rebounds per contest, which ranks ninth in the nation. The Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team selection also ranks 21st in Division I with 10.3 rebounds per game.
St. John's and West Virginia will square off for the 39th time in series history and for just the second time in a non-conference matchup since 1985. The Red Storm has won the last three contests in the series. In their last meeting on Dec. 7, 2019, the Johnnies edged the Mountaineers, 70-68, at Madison Square Garden. LJ Figueroa led St. John's with 17 points and two blocks while Rasheem Dunn sank the decisive free throws with five seconds remaining to lift the Johnnies to their two-point victory.
Red Storm Head Coach Rick Pitino boasts an 8-3 all-time record against the Mountaineers. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer will make his first appearance at WVU Coliseum since a 77-74 victory on Feb. 11, 2012, while coaching at Louisville.
West Virginia will play its second of four straight games at WVU Coliseum where the Mountaineers are 3-1 this season. The Mountaineers opened its four-game stretch in Morgantown with a 62-58 victory over Bellarmine on Sunday before a crowd of 9,181. Jesse Edwards led West Virginia with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Edwards, a Syracuse transfer, ranks 17th in the nation with three double-doubles in six starts for the Mountaineers. The 6-foot-11 center from Amsterdam, Netherlands, has also averaged a team-high 2.0 blocks per contest.
West Virginia ranks among the top teams in Division I holding opponents to 62.2 points (34th) per game and a 39.4 field goal percentage (59th). The Mountaineers are also second in the nation averaging just 11.8 fouls per contest, trailing only Creighton (8.5 fouls per game).
Iona transfer Quinn Slazinski has started all six games for the Mountaineers and leads the team with 16.3 points per contest. The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging a team-best 2.3 three-pointers and has converted 20-of-25 (80.0 pct) attempts at the free-throw line this season.
The contest between St. John's (4-2) and West Virginia (3-3) will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 with Chuckie Kempf and Chris Spatola calling the action. An audio broadcast of the game on the LEARFIELD Red Storm Sports Network with John Minko and Brian Mahoney will also be available on a variety of platforms including the Varsity Network App, TuneIn Radio, RedStormSports.com and the St. John's Red Storm mobile app. The radio broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 386 and the SiriusXM App.
St. John's has won three of its last four games and aims for its third-straight victory on Friday. The Johnnies are coming off back-to-back 91-point performances in wins over Utah (Nov. 19) and Holy Cross (Nov. 25). It was the first time a St. John's team scored 90-plus points in consecutive games since opening the 2021-22 season with wins over Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 9, 2021 - 119-61) and Saint Peter's (Nov. 13, 2021 - 91-70). Over the last two contests, St. John's has shot 51.7 percent (74-143 FG) from the field and 41.7 percent (20-48 3FG) from distance.
The Johnnies will make their fourth appearance in the BIG EAST - Big 12 Battle and own a 1-2 record in the event. St. John's defeated West Virginia, 70-68, in the first edition of the interconference matchup on Dec. 7, 2019, at Madison Square Garden. The Red Storm has dropped its last two contests in the series, falling to eventual national champion Kansas on Dec. 3, 2021, at UBS Arena and then at Iowa State on Dec. 4, 2022.
Through six games, St. John's ranks third in Division I averaging 17.3 offensive boards per contest. Joel Soriano has led the in the statistical category, as the Yonkers native has pulled down 4.2 offensive rebounds per contest, which ranks ninth in the nation. The Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team selection also ranks 21st in Division I with 10.3 rebounds per game.
St. John's and West Virginia will square off for the 39th time in series history and for just the second time in a non-conference matchup since 1985. The Red Storm has won the last three contests in the series. In their last meeting on Dec. 7, 2019, the Johnnies edged the Mountaineers, 70-68, at Madison Square Garden. LJ Figueroa led St. John's with 17 points and two blocks while Rasheem Dunn sank the decisive free throws with five seconds remaining to lift the Johnnies to their two-point victory.
Red Storm Head Coach Rick Pitino boasts an 8-3 all-time record against the Mountaineers. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer will make his first appearance at WVU Coliseum since a 77-74 victory on Feb. 11, 2012, while coaching at Louisville.
West Virginia will play its second of four straight games at WVU Coliseum where the Mountaineers are 3-1 this season. The Mountaineers opened its four-game stretch in Morgantown with a 62-58 victory over Bellarmine on Sunday before a crowd of 9,181. Jesse Edwards led West Virginia with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Edwards, a Syracuse transfer, ranks 17th in the nation with three double-doubles in six starts for the Mountaineers. The 6-foot-11 center from Amsterdam, Netherlands, has also averaged a team-high 2.0 blocks per contest.
West Virginia ranks among the top teams in Division I holding opponents to 62.2 points (34th) per game and a 39.4 field goal percentage (59th). The Mountaineers are also second in the nation averaging just 11.8 fouls per contest, trailing only Creighton (8.5 fouls per game).
Iona transfer Quinn Slazinski has started all six games for the Mountaineers and leads the team with 16.3 points per contest. The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging a team-best 2.3 three-pointers and has converted 20-of-25 (80.0 pct) attempts at the free-throw line this season.
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