Published: February 24, 2007
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J.
St. John's got 16 and 15 points from upperclassmen
Kia Wright and Tiina Sten,
respectively, but Seton Hall closed out a tight game by holding the
Red Storm scoreless in the last minute and a half of play to earn a
59-54 victory Saturday at Walsh Gymnasium.
With the score knotted at 54-54 with 1:30 left in the game,
Seton Hall's Ela Mukosiej drained a baseline jumper to give the
Pirates what would be the game-winning basket. St. John's could not
score on its final few possessions and dropped the road contest by
a five-point margin.
The loss takes St. John's record to 8-18 overall, 4-11 in the
BIG EAST, while Seton Hall improved to 18-9, 9-6 in the league. The
Red Storm's hopes for a berth to the 2007 BIG EAST
Tournament are still alive, as Providence and Syracuse losses
preserved St. John's one-game hold on the 12th and final spot.
In the first half, Seton Hall raced out to an early 14-7 lead
before St. John's found its offensive rhythm. Two free throws by
Sten with 8:01 left in the half tied the game at 17-17, but Seton
Hall closed the half on a 12-7 run and took a 29-25 lead into the
locker room.
In the second half, St. John's got its first lead of the game on
a 3-pointer by Wright with 13:50 left that put the Red Storm up
35-34. The teams traded baskets for much of the rest of the half,
until Seton Hall was able to take advantage of its last possessions
and eke out the 59-54 victory.
Sten finished with five rebounds and three blocks in addition to
her 15 points, while Wright added four steals and two boards in
addition to her 16 points.
Angel Tate hauled down 10 rebounds and scored
nine points for St. John's, while Monique McLean
managed 11 points for her 16th-straight double-digit scoring game.
She also pulled down seven rebounds and dished out four
assists.
For Seton Hall, Monique Blake led the team with 16 points and 11
rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season.
For the Red Storm, the following scenarios will result in a
berth to the BIG EAST Tournament: Should St. John's defeat
Marquette on Monday night, the Red Storm would clinch a
championship berth. Should the Red Storm be defeated, it would need
Cincinnati to defeat Syracuse, Pittsburgh to defeat Georgetown and
Villanova to defeat Providence (in games all being played
Monday night) to secure the 12th spot in the conference
standings.
Tipoff from Carnesecca Arena on Monday night vs. the Golden
Eagles is 7 p.m.