St. John’s Holds On For 75-73 Victory Over Providence at MSG

Wednesday, January 10

New York, N.Y. (Madison Square Garden)

6:30 p.m.

St. John's University

12-4,4-1Big East

Providence

11-5,2-3Big East

Providence

St. John's (NY)

St. John’s Holds On For 75-73 Victory Over Providence at MSG

1/10/2024 10:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Joel Soriano and Daniss Jenkins scored a team-high 16 points helping the Red Storm to its best start in BIG EAST play since 2000-01

NEW YORK – The St. John's men's basketball team managed to hold off a late rally by Providence (11-5, 2-3) to earn a 75-73 victory on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. Daniss Jenkins and Joel Soriano each scored a team-high 16 points to help the Red Storm improve to 4-1 in BIG EAST play, marking its best start to the conference season since the 2000-01 campaign.

RJ Luis Jr. was the third Johnnie to record double figures, finishing with 12 points to go with eight rebounds. The sophomore wing from Miami came up with a clutch offensive rebound and drew a foul with 4.7 seconds remaining to extend St. John's (12-4, 4-1) lead to two at the free-throw line. On the Friars' final possession, Luis contested Jayden Pierre's potential game winning 3-point attempt to help secure the team's fourth-straight victory.

Jenkins recorded eight assists while committing only two turnovers and shot 4-for-5 from distance. Soriano scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and finished with seven boards. Luis managed a team-high three steals in his third start this season.

As a team, St. John's shot 48.1 percent (26-54 FG) from the field. Soriano and Luis anchored the Red Storm's free-throw shooting efforts, combining to hit 14-for-19 attempts at the line.

The Johnnies got off to a quick start sinking eight of their first 11 shot attempts, including four 3-pointers. Jenkins and Brady Dunlap scored 13 of the team's first 20 points to help the Red Storm open a 15-point advantage with 13 minutes to go in the opening frame.

Junior guard Devin Carter answered with six points on Providence's 8-0 run over the next two minutes to trim the Friars' deficit to 20-13 with 10:13 remaining. However, it was as close as the Friars would get the rest of the half. Carter finished with 31 points, 13 rebounds and four steals.

Jordan Dingle scored all nine of his points in just under seven minutes of action in the opening stanza and put the Red Storm up 40-29 with a jumper 16 seconds before intermission. The senior guard shot 4-for-6 from the field and knocked down a 3-pointer.

The Johnnies shot 56.7 percent (17-30 FG) while scoring 13 points on eight Providence turnovers through the first 20 minutes of action. Jenkins led St. John's with 11 points in the first half and hit a trio of 3-pointers.

Providence opened the second half with a 16-4 run to take its first lead of the game, 45-44, less than six minutes into the stanza. Carter scored seven points to help power the spurt.

The Friars maintained the lead for just 57 seconds as Dunlap threw down a two-handed slam that sparked a 17-3 run for St. John's over the next five minutes. Jenkins and Alleyne capped off the run with back-to-back 3-pointers that pushed the Red Storm's lead back to double-digits, 60-48, with 8:15 to play.

Soriano gave St. John's a boost at the charity stripe in the second half, converting 8-of-11 attempts, including four free-throws with less than 3:40 to go.

After St. John's opened a 74-69 advantage on a Soriano free-throw with 37 ticks on the clock, Carter scored the next four points to get the Friars within one point with 9.8 seconds to go. On the next possession, Dunlap came up empty at the line before Luis saved the game for St. John's with his offensive board and free-throw.

Pierre finished with 17 points and five assists in 38 minutes of work for Providence. Teammate Davonte "Ticket" Gaines played all 40 minutes on Wednesday, recording 11 points and four rebounds.

The Red Storm will go on the road for the next two games, beginning with a trip to Creighton on Saturday. FOX will carry the national telecast at 1 p.m. ET from Omaha.