Everett’s Game-Winner Lifts St. John’s Past Purdue, 66-64, in NCAA Tournament First Four

Thursday, March 16

Columbus, Ohio (Value City Arena)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

23-8,13-7Big East

No. 11 Purdue

19-11,9-8Big Ten

St. John's (NY)

Purdue

Everett’s Game-Winner Lifts St. John’s Past Purdue, 66-64, in NCAA Tournament First Four

3/16/2023 11:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Everett sunk a floater with 0.3 seconds left to give the Red Storm its first NCAA Tournament win since 2014

COLUMBUS, Ohio- Jayla Everett sunk a floater with 0.3 seconds to go to lift St. John's over Purdue, 66-64, in thrilling fashion in the NCAA Tournament First Four.

The game-winner gave the Red Storm its first NCAA Tournament since 2014 and will advance to the First Round to face sixth-seeded North Carolina on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Value City Arena.

The late-game hero, Everett, scored a team-high 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting. A 42.6 percent shooter from downtown, the shooting guard drilled three triples in winning effort.

Unique Drake was dynamite from 3-point land, matching a career-high with four made triples. The BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year scored 16 points in Columbus.

Danielle Cosgrove provided a huge lift off the bench, finishing with a season-high eight points and nailing two crucial 3-pointers during a second quarter run to end the half. The forward led all players with a plus-8 in Thursday's contest.

Kadaja Bailey distributed the ball well, matching a season-high with seven assists. Mimi Reid chipped in seven points and a season-high five rebounds.

The Red Storm were on fire from beyond-the-arc, setting the new St. John's NCAA Tournament record with 11 made 3-pointers. The Johnnies shot 47.8 from 3-point land.

The two sides battled defensively in the opening minutes, as Archer tallied the first two baskets for the Red Storm. On the final play of the frame, a Boilermakers turnover had Bailey off to the races and found Drake on the break to even the score, 13-13, as the first quarter buzzer sounded.

After an Everett triple gave the Red Storm the lead, the Boilermakers spurred an 8-0 run which was halted by a crucial 3-pointer from Cosgrove.

The triple was the start of a hot scoring streak to end the half, Drake hit three triples over 1:10 to lead a 14-4 scoring stretch. Reid finished in traffic to give the Red Storm a 39-33 advantage at halftime.

The Red Storm started off the second half on a 8-2 run, highlighted by one of Everett's triples. The Red Storm continued to control the game, as a pull-up jumper from Drake, followed by a steal and finish from Everett on the break gave the Johnnies their largest lead of the night, 57-42.

Purdue charged back spurring a 17-2 run to tie the game, 62-62. Everett ended a nearly five-minute scoring drought to pull back ahead with a mid-range jumper.

With 30 seconds to go, Purdue's Lasha Petree drilled a jumper to tie the game up for the fifth time. St. John's had the ball and a chance to win it. As the shot-clock expired, Everett drove down the lane and tossed up a shot from the side of the backboard that fell through with 0.3 seconds on the clock and advanced the Johnnies to the First Round in dramatic fashion.