For 40 minutes Monday night, St. John’s finally looked like the team its fans have been waiting for.
The team that was supposed to make the NCAA Tournament and was picked to finish fourth in the Big East.
This was supposed to be a celebratory night for the Pirates, the first league game on campus since 1985. The gym was rowdy and full of 1,400 students. But they left early, as St. John’s piled it on in the unexpected result. Coach Mike Anderson brought Posh Alexander off the bench and the sophomore point guard responded with a complete effort of 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Ten St. John’s players scored. Aaron Wheeler was a two-way force, continuing his renaissance.
Seton Hall’s first possession of the game produced a turnover in the backcourt, setting the tone for St. John’s strong first half. The Johnnies pressed for almost the entire 20 minutes and were active at both ends of the floor, playing with desperation and intensity that had been lacking.