St. John’s Routs LIU in Season Opener, 81-44

Monday, November 6

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

1-0,0-0Big East

LIU

0-1,0-0NEC

Team	1	2	3	4	F
LIU	13	7	12	12	44
St. John's (NY)	12	30	15	24	81

11/6/2023 11:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Unique Drake goes for career-high 27 points

QUEENS, N.Y.– The St. John's women's basketball team routed LIU in its season opener on Monday night, 81-44.

After a closely contested first frame, the Red Storm surged on a 25-2 scoring run to end the first half and runaway with an opening night win at Carnesecca Arena.

Unique Drake went for a career-high 27 points on Monday night surpassing her previous all-time best she set almost two years ago, scoring 24 against Yale on Nov. 21, 2021.  The redshirt senior notched a new career-high with five 3-pointers made.

Drake scored the most points by a Red Storm player in nearly two years since Kadaja Bailey had 28 against Brown on Dec. 30, 2021. The Columbia, S.C., native shot 9-for-15 (60 percent) from the floor

Jillian Archer logged a double-double in her final regular season opener. The graduate student forward finished the evening with 11 points and 12 rebounds on Monday night.

Sophomore Skye Owen set new career-bests in numerous statistical categories reaching new marks in points (12), assists (6), rebounds (3) and steals (4)

Jayda Brown strung together a strong collegiate debut finishing in double-figures with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting and three steals.

The Red Storm defense forced 23 turnovers and held the Sharks to just 32.7 percent shooting and a 15.8 percent mark from 3-point range.

Monday's decisive victory marked the seventh-straight in season openers and moved St. John's to an 11-1 record in home openers under Head Coach Joe Tartamella.

In the opening quarter, the two sides went back-and-forth on the inaugural day of college basketball. LIU held a one-point edge after the opening quarter, 13-12.

In the second stanza, the Johnnies turned it on offensively and took control. After a mid-range jumper from LIU's Ashley Austin put the visitors back on top, 18-17, a Jailah Donald triple kick started a dominant stretch for the Red Storm. Defensively, the Johnnies forced the Sharks to miss 11-straight during the run and Archer unloaded a ferocious block on a lay-up attempt from Amaya Dowdy. Jayda Brown laid one off the glass for her first collegiate basket and then shortly thereafter knocked down a triple to make it 31-18 with 3:34 remaining in the half. With under a minute remaining, a putback lay-in from Tara Daye capped off a punishing 21-0 run that spanned 6:40. After the Sharks snapped a seven-minute scoring drought, Owen netted a couple free throws to make it 42-20 headed into the break.

As the latter half got underway, the Red Storm increased its advantage by spurring a 9-0 spurt that concluded with a triple from Drake and a finish in the paint from Owen. In the final moments of the third quarter, Owen got in the LIU passing lane and was off to the races for a fastbreak bucket on the other end.

During the final 10 minutes, Drake continued to hit her stride offensively adding 11 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the floor in the fourth frame. The reigning BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year reached new career-high's in points and 3-pointers made on a buried corner triple to make it 71-36.

The Johnnies expanded their lead to as many as 44, 81-37, after a pair of makes at the charity stripe from Owen ended a 16-1 run with 3:02 remaining.  LIU finished the contest on a 7-0 run.

The Red Storm will hit the road for the first time on Friday night when it takes on Monmouth at the OceanFirst Bank Center.