By Dylan Butler
DURHAM, N.C.-There's just something about Duke blue that makes Bootsy Thornton's eyes see red.
In St. John's memorable 83-82 win over No. 2 Duke at Cameron Indoor Arena Saturday, Thornton scored a game-high 22 points, including the most important bucket of the game, an 18-foot jumper in front of the bench with 11.9 seconds left in regulation that catapulted the Red Storm to its seventh straight win, third over a Top 25 team.
Thornton lit up the Blue Devils last season for 40 points in the Red Storm's heart-pounding 92-88 overtime loss at a sold-out Madison Square Garden last year.
“Bootsy's a funny kid,” said St. John's head coach Mike Jarvis. “We're much better when we play against people who are more talented than we are. And Bootsy's one of those guys who really needs that kind of motivation. When he plays against a team like Duke, he really concentrates, he really gets after it.”
Thornton, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, was 4-6 from three-point range Saturday. He also had six assists and two steals in 39 minutes. But the most impressive stat, and one of the keys to the Johnnies win, was Thornton's 11 rebounds. The Red Storm outrebounded the Blue Devils, 38-32, and 14-8 on the offensive glass.
“I was just trying to win, by any means necessary,” Thornton said. “If it took me to get down there and get some rebounds, that's what coach asks everybody to do, get down there and rebound and that's what we did today.”
In wins over Connecticut and Duke, Thornton averaged 21 points, 9.5 rebounds and five assists a game. Along with Donta Wade from Providence, Thornton was named Big East Player of the Week.
With Duke leading 82-81 and the Cameron Crazies reacting at a deafening pitch, Thornton was the definition of calm. Following missed shots by Erick Barkley and Lavor Postell, Barkley got to a loose ball at the top of the key and found Thornton, who was open on the wing.
“The play was for Erick, a screen and roll, and they doubled out on him,” Thornton said. “My man left me and I was wide open and I took the shot. I had that shot all game. I thought it was a three, but the ref counted it as a two. It doesn't matter as long as it went in.”
