First Win in Storrs Since 2000
Yesterday afternoon, for the first time since 2000, we beat UConn in Storrs. This game was so important for so many different reasons. Coach Anderson, who prior to this game only had one Big East road win on his resume, coached this team through an incredible 40 minutes of basketball against a nationally ranked team on their home floor.
This win solidifies for himself that what he is building at St. John’s is working and that this team is moving in the right direction. Winning a game on national television against a ranked opponent, who also happens to be a rival, is also going to give our players a big boost of confidence as we head into the final 10 games of the season. This game gives us the opportunity to turn the tide of this season and put St. John’s Men’s Basketball back on the map.
Game Recap
St. John’s fell behind 21-7 early on in the first half, but they relentlessly fought back throughout the rest of the half and brought it to within three points headed into the break.
In the second half, Marcellus Earlington was unstoppable. Marcellus hit 3 threes on three attempts, all coming amidst the second half comeback. The way he played yesterday was similar to the way he looked at the end of last season: shooting confidently, playing within himself, and playing winning basketball. Marcellus finished with 15 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes, hopefully earning himself more playing time going forward.
Freshmen playing like seniors: Posh Alexander and Dylan Wusu played their best games of the season yesterday and this win wouldn’t have happened without them. I’ll start with Dylan, who played 28 minutes off the bench and chipped in 10 points, pulled down 5 rebounds, and tallied a pair of steals and assists. While he did register a solid stat line, his impact on this game goes far beyond the stat sheet. Wusu adds muscle for the Red Storm when he is on the floor and his hustle plays make major impacts on games, especially yesterday’s. His freshmen counterpart, Posh Alexander, played out of his damn mind yesterday. Posh hit 3 threes (career high) in an 18-point scoring effort. He stuffed the stat sheet: 18 PTS, 6 AST, 4 REB, 3 STL, 1 BLK. He played 36 minutes with the same energy the entire time. I swear this guy never gets tired. To make all of this even more impressive, we found out after the game that he didn’t practice on Sunday because his hip has been bothering him. This is the kind of guy we want in this program: a fighter.
Post Game Interview with Posh Alexander:
Absolute badass. Let’s get it Posh.
Game Highlights
Full-court dime from Posh to Wusu. The chemistry between these two is unbelievable. They are going to be a special duo for us.
Our boy Marcellus made it rain at Gampel yesterday. Clutch rating 99.
When Posh’s name is called upon, he rises to the occasion. Posh never backs down from the big moment. The kid is an absolute beast with a never-ending motor and a special talent on the basketball court.
Box Score
| Starters | Reb | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| Roberts | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Champagnie | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| Alexander | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 18 |
| Williams Jr. (injured) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dunn | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11 |
| Bench | ||||||
| Moore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Earlington | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Toro | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Wusu | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| McGriff | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gambling Results
We. Only. Post. LOCKS.
Check our twitter for best picks before every game.
What’s Next?
Unfortunately for us fans, we have to wait until January 27th to see our team take the floor again. On the 27th St. John’s will face off against DePaul (2-4) at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. This is a great opportunity for this team to snag another Big East win, which would give us 4 on the year. After the DePaul game we face UConn again, this time at Carnesseca, followed by another home game vs. Villanova.
Beating UConn twice will be no easy task, but I believe this team is up for the challenge. The Villanova game is a unique opportunity considering they’re a top-5 team in the nation, giving us a chance to shock the world. After Nova, we enter a stretch of games where I believe we must go 3-4 to accelerate ourselves up in standings, and give us a chance at the tournament. Those games include Providence, Butler, Xavier, and Marquette. We are on the road for all but the Xavier matchup, but these are all games that this team can and should win.
Time to build off of a massive victory against UConn, and keep the ball rolling into the most exciting part of the college basketball season.
Barstool St. John's 
One reply on “Renewing the Rivalry: Big Win vs. #23 UConn”
Hello Dylan,
When you say 10 games left, does that mean we cannot reschedule the postponed DePaul game? Only play them once?
Also we only played 6 non conference games. It is my understanding you are allowed 7. Are they considering trying to get a Feb non conference in?
Thanks,
Ed Franke p: 516.504.5952 e: edfranke.musicbiz@gmail.com
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