By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: AP Photo/Pamela Smith
The St John’s Red Storm rallied in the second half, and an intense overtime period earned them a victory over Xavier Musketeers, 79-71 on Wednesday night in Madison Square Garden.
The Red Storm improves to 17-3, 8-1 in Big East conference play, while the Musketeers fall to 12-8, 4-5.
The Musketeers dominated the first half. They led 40-30 by halftime.
The second half was a different story. The Johnnies stepped up their play with their defense and put points in the paint. RJ Luis Jr didn’t score until the second half. He finished the game with 16 points.
The Red Storm got the lead late in the second half. It was their first lead since 18-16 in the first half.
Kadary Richmond led the Johnnie’s with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block. Zuby Ejiofor added 16 points and eight rebounds.
“They came in with a motive to play harder and be more aggressive than us,” Richmond said. “We responded in the second half to match their physicality.”
It’s one of the best games and wins of the season for the program. Richmond was more confident and aggressive in this game. He accepted the challenge that the defense gave him and executed well, as did the whole team. The Red Storm was mentally prepared.
“I thought the defense we played down 16 and at overcome was magnificent,” coach Rick Pitino said. “But this team got outplayed tonight. They were the better team for most of the game.”
Pitino said it best when he described the Red Storm in one sentence.
“This team is about defense and fearing losing,” Pitino said.
It’s all about winning in New York. It’s the largest market in the United States. Fans care about winning. Pitino and the team are trying to bring the Red Storm back where it belongs.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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