NEW YORK – For the primary time since 2000, the fifth-seeded St. John’s males’s basketball crew (20-12) superior to the Big East Tournament semifinals with a 91-72 victory over fourth-seeded Seton Hall (20-12). . , on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
RJ Lewis Jr. scored a team-high 18 factors to guide the Johnnys to their largest margin of victory within the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals since March 12, 1993, when St. John’s defeated Boston College 76-56. . St. John’s middle Joel Soriano recorded his 14th double-double of the season with 14 factors, 12 rebounds and 4 assists.
The Red Storm offense was firing on all cylinders Thursday, reaching the 90-point mark in a event recreation for simply the sixth time in program historical past. St. John’s shot 51.6 % from the sector (32-62 from the sector), made eight 3-pointers and went 19-of-20 (95.0 %) from the free-throw line on downs.
Nahiem Alleyne helped Lewis anchor the crew’s productiveness off the bench, scoring 14 factors on the graduate scholar’s excellent 5-of-5 3-point taking pictures from the sector. Jordan Dingle (14 factors), Danis Jenkins (11 factors) and Chris Ledrum (11 factors) rounded out the Red Storm’s six gamers with double-digit scoring.
After Seton Hall constructed its largest lead, 13-8, lower than 4 minutes into the sport, Lewis sparked a 10-4 spurt to provide St. John’s its first benefit. The 6-foot-7 wing from Miami then scored 3 times within the paint throughout the subsequent three minutes, together with a layup at 11:43 to place the Johnnys forward 18-17.
A couple of minutes later, at 9:08, Al Amir Dawes sank a 3-pointer to revive Seton Hall’s final benefit of the sport, 24-23. The Red Storm responded with an 8-0 run and by no means appeared again. Zuby Ejiofor and Alleyne sank back-to-back 3s, and Lewis made a steal and layup through the intermission to provide the Johnnies a 31-24 lead at 6:59.
The Red Storm prolonged their result in 9 factors on Soriano’s jumper 5:12 into the primary half. However, Seton Hall closed the hole with seven consecutive factors, slicing the result in 39-38 with 2:50 remaining earlier than intermission.
Soriano responded with a putback and jumper down the stretch, and Lewis hit a jumper of his personal on the buzzer, sending St. John’s into the locker room with a 45-40 lead. Lewis scored 10 of his 18 factors within the first 20 minutes.
The Red Storm scored the primary six factors of the second half and constructed their first double-digit benefit of the event. Dingle, Jenkins and Glen Taylor Jr. sank back-to-back buckets to take a 51-40 lead at 17:54. Defensively, the Johnnies held Seton Hall in verify early within the second half, holding the Pirates and not using a subject purpose for practically 5 minutes.
The Johnnies took one other hit with a 7-0 run inside 40 seconds, culminating with Alleyne’s jumper in transition and Dingle’s nook 3, giving St. John’s a 15-point lead with 9:11 left.
Seton Hall reduce the Red Storm’s benefit to eight with 5:55 remaining, and St. John’s outscored the Pirates 16-5 the remainder of the best way. With the win, the Johnnies prolonged their profitable streak to 6 video games, tying this system’s longest profitable streak towards BIG EAST competitors because the 2010-11 season.
Dawes led the Pirates with a game-high 22 factors and made 4 3-pointers. Dylan Ade-Wusu had 15 factors and three triples for Seton Hall.
St. John’s returns to the “world’s most well-known area” on Friday for a semifinal match towards top-seeded Connecticut (29-3). Tipoff is scheduled for five:30 p.m. and shall be nationally televised on FOX.