St. John’s Sails Past Xavier on the Road, 60-42

Tuesday, January 9

Cincinnati, Ohio (Cintas Center)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

10-7,4-1Big East

Xavier

1-12,0-4Big East

St. John's (NY)

Xavier

Jillian Archer attempts a mid-range jump shot.

1/9/2024 10:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Red Storm recorded 21 assists on 22 made field goals

CINCINNATI, Ohio (Jan. 9, 2024)– In a stellar defensive performance, the St. John's women's basketball team sailed past Xavier at the Cintas Center, 60-42.

St. John's moved the ball with efficiency totaling a season-high 21 assists on 22 made field goals (95.5 percent). Seven Red Storm players tallied an assist with five recording three or more.

The Red Storm defense held Xavier to just 42 points, the lowest point total by a BIG EAST opponent since Feb. 13, 2021. The Johnnies held Butler to 35 points in a 12-point win at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Musketeers shot 32.7 (17-52) from the floor in Cincinnati.

With the win, the Johnnies have claimed six of their last seven contests and eight of their last 10. St. John's is off to a 4-1 start in BIG EAST play for the second consecutive season. The last time the Red Storm started conference competition 4-1 in back-to-back seasons was during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns.

Jillian Archer was outstanding on Tuesday night at Cintas Center. The graduate student logged her fifth double-double of the season finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The forward was efficient from the floor (5-8) and the free throw line (7-8).

Ber'Nyah Mayo chipped in 12 points, five boards and three assists, highlighted by banking in a near halfcourt heave at the end of the second quarter.

Unique Drake reached the double-digit scoring mark for the 12^th consecutive contest finishing with 10 points. The reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week tallied a season-high four assists in the winning effort.

St. John's started right from the jump as Archer tipped it straight to Mayo, who took off for an easy lay-in. The Red Storm started the game on a 10-2 run before Xavier responded to tie the game at 10. Mayo took back the lead after jacking up a triple and the Red Storm never relinquished the advantage. At the conclusion of the opening frame, St. John's led by one, 15-14.

In the second quarter, the Johnnies started off on a quick 6-0 spurt that concluded with a finish in the paint by Jailah Donald. As the second quarter progressed, the Red Storm continued to grow its lead. As time ran out, Mayo launched a heave from the logo and banked it in as the buzzer sounded to take a 33-21 lead into the break. The miraculous shot from the point guard concluded a 7-2 stretch to end the second quarter.

In the second half, Archer continued to have her way inside finishing a post move to reach double-digits I scoring for the 10^th time this season. The Santa Monica, Calif., native poured in eight of St. John's final 12 points in the third, including the final four of the frame to take a 16-point lead, 48-32, into the final 10 minutes.

In the final quarter, Mayo pulled up for a mid-range to half a brief scoring spurt by the Musketeers. The jumper ignited an 8-0 run that was capped off by a Drake 3-pointer off a feed from Tara Daye that gave the Johnnies their largest lead of the night, 58-37. Tyonna Bailey concluded the scoring with a crafty move that freed her to knock down a mid-range jumper.

St. John's extends its winning streak over Xavier to 18 games.

The Red Storm will be back in action on Saturday in a meeting of the top-two teams in the BIG EAST standings at UBS Arena. St. John's will meet No. 13/14 UConn at 2 p.m. on SNY. To purchase tickets click here.