By Joseph Staszewski
Joe Tartamella didn’t hesitate to remove his struggling starters and insert four new players off his bench early in the first half. That kind of depth is a luxury the St. John’s University women’s basketball coach finally has and benefited from against Seton Hall.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had the ability to look down the bench, even as an assistant, to say we have four players who we can turn to,” Tartamella said.
The Red Storm bench made an immediate and lasting impact in a 72-63 win over the Pirates at Carnesecca Arena in both teams’ Big East opener Saturday. The win is the second straight for St. John’s after a three-game losing streak. It knocked off nationally ranked Texas A&M during the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden Jan. 22.
Against Seton Hall reserves Keylantra Langley tied a career-high with 16 points and Danaejah Grant set a new career mark with 16 points as the Red Storm (7-4) got 36 points from its bench. Briana Brown tallied a career-high 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds with stars Aliyyah Handford and Eugeneia McPherson held to just seven points total.
St. John’s had just six points in the game’s first seven minutes. Bra’Shey Ali paced Seton Hall (8-3). Ka-Deidre Simmons scored 14 points and Sidney Cook added 11 points and 14 boards.
“I think we have a tremendous arsenal on this team,” Grant said. “On any given night anyone can step up and take us to that next level.”
Brown, Grant and Langley combined to hit all seven of the Red Storm’s three three-pointers. The sharp shooting from behind the arc helped erase the damage caused by going just 17 of 27 from the free throw line and committing 18 turnovers.
“Usually you win those games and we didn’t,” Seton Hall Coach Tony Bozzella said of the stat sheet being in his favor. “They found a way to win.”
The performance was the first big one for Grant, a Clemson transfer, in just her second game after sitting out because of NCAA transfer rules. She connected on a three-pointer to put St. John’s up for good at 48-46 with 12:18 to go in the game.
“I just wanted to come in and be one with the team and help them as much as possible,” Grant said.
It was Brown, who has struggled of late, that ensured the win. She knocked down two free throws and then drained a three-pointer from the left corner to put the Red Storm up 68-61 with 2:04 remaining in the game.
“She’s not afraid,” Tartamella said. “She’s made big ones for us in the past and she made big ones for us here.”
The victory was a good start to play in the revamped Big East for a Red Storm team that has its eyes on winning a conference tittle.
“We are in the new Big East and it set the tone for our team because we want to make a stand,” Langley said.
