St. John's Rams Fordham
JAMAICA, NY - St. John’s-Fordham is a far cry from a rivalry, despite the school’s proximity to each other and an extensive history that predates World War I. But another chapter in the 88-game series was written Thursday when the Rams invaded Carnesecca Arena for a New York City showdown.
Last year’s defeat on Gunhill Road left a sour taste in Chris Mullin’s mouth, feeling first-year coach Jeff Neubauer took things a bit far leaving his starters in a decided game and applying intense defense in minutes that carried no true meaning.
The grunt of St. John’s starters checked out Thursday with roughly three minutes left. An enthusiastic crowd gave them a kind ovation after watching them rout Fordham in an eventual 90-62 win, which pulled the team back to .500 with two games left before Big East play kicks off.
"After the season, we had last year, we have motivation to last us for the rest of our lives,” Mullin said. “When you play a team and you lose, no matter who it is or how it happens, it should bother you. I remember losses from 30 years ago. I still remember losing to Georgetown and it still pisses me off.
“That's the way you have to be, but that's not going to win the game. The way you win the game is with preparation and execution. I think they're starting to get that."
If anyone got that it was Shamorie Ponds, who continues to shine in the absence of Marcus LoVett. After setting a career-high on Monday, Ponds added to that versus Fordham, scoring a game-high 26 points and dishing out nine assists, also a career-best for him 10 games into his debut campaign.
Federico Mussini matched his season-high with 20 points (4-6 3-PT). The Italian has seen a decrease in minutes and touches from last year, but continues to find ways to make an impact when called upon. As a member of last year’s team, he sensed the stakes of this year’s games, particularly for his coach.
"We were so ready to play tonight,” Mussini said. “We knew what happened last year and we tried to make sure everyone on this team was ready to go out and play hard tonight.
“(Mullin) gives us the motivation to keep going and to play hard. We also play for him and we have to respect his name. Today was a special game for him too. He wanted to win the game really bad."
St. John’s hit 15 of 31 3-pointers, a calling card for their success all season. A quick stretch halfway through the opening half saw Ponds, Mussini, Bashir Ahmed, and then Malik Ellison consecutively drill a deep ball, pushing the Red Storm ahead, 24-14.
A double-digit lead by St. John’s quickly evaporated as Chris Sengfelder connected on his fourth 3-pointer of the half, then a steal-and-score by the Rams made it a one possession game with 3:16 to play following a 7-0 run. Unfazed, St. John’s answered with an 8-0 run, capped with Mussini fearlessly grabbing a rebound and going basket-to-basket to complete an And 1 finish that beat the halftime buzzer by .3.
The 42-33 halftime lead was the exact cushion St. John’s needed, and it managed to build in the second half adding 48 more points in the final 20 minutes. A pair of corner 3’s from the Mussini stretched the lead to 65-45, then Ponds pulled off a highlight play: crossing over his defender before lobbing to Tariq Owens, who punctuated a dominant performance.
"We lost five in a row, but what we did after those games,” Mullin said, “is really more important than what we do after this game [in terms of] how you handle your losses, how you are accountable for each other and what you do to change it. It's always more important how you handle adversity and get through it. That's what makes your team grow."
Ponds, Red Storm rain down on Rams