2nd Half Spree Lifts Friars Over St. John's
St. John's got a few of players out of quarantine, got the additional leg of scoring they've been looking for with a commendable performance from Aaron Wheeler (15 points), but ultimately it didn't matter.
The Johnnies were mired in a second half offensive fetal position, one in which the radiant 1-2 punch of Posh Alexander and Julian Champagnie was finally neutralized.
Providence's Nate Watson continued his monstrous and high efficiency offensive tear (scoring 22 points on 9-of-11 FG) and Providence ran roughshod over St. John's during a lopsided second half, en route to an 83-73 Friars victory at the Dunkin Donuts Center on Saturday.
Providence rattled off a decisive, 12-2 second half run which gave them a 72-60 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the second half.
St. John's was never able to weather or recover from the quick-hit and game-altering spree.
The streak started with a Watson layup and was followed by a ferocious traditional 3-point play on an authoritative dunk through contact from Watson. A 3-pointer by Providence guard Justin Minaya (13 points, seven rebounds) capped the run.
Jared Bynum, Providence's gutty 5-foot-10 guard, scored a season-best 18 points to help land Friars head coach Ed Cooley his 300th career win.
A fierce recruiter and culture builder, Cooley has been synonymous with the success of a program that's garnered numerous NCAA tournament appearances under the homegrown product's storied stay.
After a wild 34-point, 16-rebound performance during a return from quarantine and Big East win over DePaul this week, Champagnie cooled off.
A versatile scoring piece on whom the Johnnies have leaned significantly, the Bishop Loughlin HS product shot just 5-for-19 from the field, including 0-for-8 from 3-point territory. The Red Storm didn't have it from beyond the arc, shooting it at a meager 5-for-22 clip.
Jarringly similar to in the deflating loss against Pittsburgh before an extended layoff, St. John's was hampered by a spate of fouls.
Providence capitalized on the excessive trips to the free throw line, connecting on 25-of-30.
St. John's, on the other hand, shot a dismal 8-for-17 from the charity stripe. After Champagnie, Dylan Wusu, and Alexander accounted for a significant percentage of the offensive output in the DePaul victory, the Johnnies had been groping for that extra leg of offense.
They got help from 6-foot-9 Wheeler, who scored 15 points (6-for-9 FG, 3-for-3 3FG) in 25 minutes. Wheeler's 3-pointer with 10:32 remaining in the second gave St. John's a 55-53 lead.
Providence countered with a 3-pointer from Minaya a minute later, spurring a monumental 7-0 run.
Wheeler, like Joel Soriano, was saddled with foul trouble. Watson feasted on the frontline in exploiting the void, as the Friars fed the post and the big fella capitalized.
Wusu led the Red Storm with 20 points, seven boards and five assists. With the loss, St. John's falls to 9-4 and 1-1 in conference action.