Published: December 10, 2006
QUEENS, N.Y.
Freshman Joy McCorvey (19 points, 10 rebounds)
and sophomore Monique McLean (15 points, 11
rebounds) posted double-doubles to lead the St. John's women's
basketball team to a 63-50 win over Nicholls State on Sunday
afternoon. McCorvey scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in
the second half to help spark a St. John's run and hold a big 48-33
rebounding advantage over the Lady Colonels.
St. John's closed out a four-game homestand with a win to
improve to 3-6 on the young season, while Nicholls State fell to
1-7 with the setback.
Tiina Sten came within one rebound of her first
career double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds and
controlled the paint with four blocked shots. McCorvey set a new
career-high with her 19 points, tied a career-best with 10 rebounds
and knocked down 9-of-11 field goal attempts.
Jamie Octave scored 16 points in 39 minutes to lead Nicholls
State, while Barbara Febus (nine points), Katherine Plummer (eight
points) and Claire Barry (seven points) all contributed solid
offensive efforts.
The Red Storm fought back from two different eight-point
deficits in the first half, overcoming a late 20-12 advantage by
Nicholls State with a 10-2 run to close the period. Sten scored the
team's first three buckets over the run, and freshman Allie
Patterson tied the game at 20-all with a pair of free
throws with just over a minute remaining. Plummer knocked down a
jumper for the Lady Colonels with 42 seconds remaining, and
Nikki Jo Rotolo knotted the game at 22-22 with two
free throws in the final seconds.
Sten scored eight of her 15 points in the first half and added
five rebounds, three blocked shots and an assist in 18 minutes.
McLean chipped in with five points and three rebounds, and McCorvey
scored two points to go along with four boards.
Octave paced the Lady Colonels with nine points on 4-of-10
shooting, and forward Dominique Washington scored three points,
recorded three steals and grabbed five rebounds.
Sten knocked down a 3-point field goal as part of a 7-2 push by
St. John's to start to the second half. Rotolo found McCorvey on
the break to close the run, and the Red Storm clung to its lead for
the rest of the period. Free throws down the stretch, including
four by McLean in the final minute of play, and a McCorvey layup as
time expired gave the Red Storm its largest lead of the game,
63-50, as the final buzzer sounded.
The Red Storm hits the road for the next three contests, taking
on Boston University on Dec. 17, No. 2 North Carolina on Wednesday,
Dec. 20 and Stony Brook on Saturday, Dec. 30. The next St. John's
home game comes against Rutgers on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m.