St. John’s Uses Impressive Fourth Quarter to Down Rhode Island, 55-44

Sunday, December 10

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

2 p.m.

St. John's University

5-6,0-0Big East

Rhode Island

6-5,0-0Atlantic 10

Rhode Island

St. John's (NY)

Skye Owen logged a career high 14 points on 5-8 shooting to go along with two assists and two steals.

St. John’s Uses Impressive Fourth Quarter to Down Rhode Island, 55-44

12/10/2023 5:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Red Storm and Rams were tied heading into the final frame

QUEENS, N.Y. (Dec. 10, 2023)– With the score knotted heading into the final quarter, the St. John's women's basketball team used a 12-2 scoring stretch in the fourth frame to earn a double-digit victory over Rhode Island, 55-44.

The Red Storm outscored the Rams 23-12 in the final quarter to tally a home victory.

Unique Drake was the offensive catalyst in Sunday's low-scoring battle at Carnesecca Arena. The redshirt senior led all players in the scoring department adding 16 points. Including four made 3-pointers. Sunday marked the fifth game this season the reigning BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year made four or more triples.

Skye Owen logged a career-high 14 points in Sunday's contest and made big buckets down the stretch. The sophomore went 2-for-2 from beyond-the-arc

Ber'Nyah Mayo was the third Red Storm player to tally double-figures in scoring chipping in 11 and a game-high five assists.

Phoenix Gedeon earned her first start while at St. John's and capitalized recording a season-high six points and a team-high 10 boards. This marked the second double-digit rebounding performance for the junior in the last three games after pulling down 12 at Marist. The junior took four charges providing an energetic boost.

In St. John's (5-6) five wins, no opponent has scored more than 49 points and teams are averaging 44.8 points per game against the stifling Red Storm defense.

Jillian Archer started off the scoring for the Johnnies with an and-one. In the final 30 seconds of the opening frame, Drake hit a pair of triples to carry a 16-12 advantage after one.

In the next quarter, URI quickly tied the game at 16. Both teams struggled offensively in the second stanza and went to the locker room tied at 20.

In the latter half, Mayo made the first basket nailing a 3-pointer off a swing pass from Gedeon to break the tie. The two sides went back-and-forth in the third frame with neither side leading by more than three points. With the Rams ahead, a steal from Tara Daye had the Red Storm out on the break, she found Owen who then threaded the needle to a cutting Archer, who put the easy lay-in home to tie the game at 30. St. John's regained the advantage after Owen nailed a long-range two pointer off a dish from Gedeon to lead, 32-31. URI's Maya Toure split at the charity stripe to deadlock the score at the conclusion of the third quarter.

The offense came alive in the fourth quarter as the Johnnies came out firing. Owen and Drake hit 3-pointers to stretch the advantage to five, 41-36. After URI cut the deficit to three, the Red Storm went on a crucial spurt to separate itself. Gedeon scored all six of her points and took a pivotal charge during the run. Drake hit her fourth triple of the afternoon to finish off a 12-2 run and take St. John's largest lead of the day, 53-40. The Johnnies held on to their double-digit advantage to move to 4-1 at Carnesecca Arena and 5-6 on the year.

The Red Storm will begin BIG EAST play on Saturday as part of the Holiday Festival tripleheader at Madison Square Garden. St. John's will face Villanova at 6 p.m. at the "The World's Most Famous Arena".