The Red Storm offense ran buck wild for a second-straight game in the young season. The problem on Saturday afternoon was that Alabama’s offense was even better. Against the high-octane Crimson Tide offense, St. John’s could not keep pace and allowed their most points in a game in the Rick Pitino era, falling 103-96 to No. 15 Alabama at Madison Square Garden.
Alabama played their style of math-ketball almost perfectly in the first half, exclusively generating shots from inside the paint and around the perimeter. The Tide shot 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) from inside the arc and 8-of-20 from three through the first half as they took a 53-44 lead into the break. If it weren’t for Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins combining to score 36 of the Red Storm’s first-half points, this game could have been over before halftime. By the end of the game, Ejiofor would lead the Red Storm with a 27-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Hopkins finished with 19 points (5-of-12 from the field).
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The Crimson Tide weren’t as accurate in the second half, but continued to dictate play until St. John’s registered an 8-0 run that was capped by a Joson Sanon triple to give the Johnnies an 81-80 lead with 8:13 remaining.
A few minutes later, St. John’s were in the perfect position to seize momentum after an Oziyah Sellers mid-range jumper gave them an 87-86 lead with 6:09 remaining. However, the offense stalled out for almost five minutes due to turnovers and poor shooting decisions while Alabama’s offense continued humming despite sitting players due to foul trouble. Dylan Darling’s playmaking off the bench was dearly missed as the guard missed the game due to a calf strain. The Johnnies did not convert another shot until after Latrell Wrightsell scored a back-breaking layup off a turnover to give Alabama a 100-88 lead with less than two minutes remaining.
Guard play ultimately decided the game. Even though Ian Jackson and Oziyah Sellers each scored in double figures, the Red Storm backcourt had no answers defending against Labaron Philon, Aden Holloway, and Latrell Wrightsell. Philon led the Crimson Tide with 25 points (10-of-17 from the field, 2-of-5 from three), while his backcourt partner Holloway posted 21 points (9-of-18 from the field, 2-of-9 from three), and Wrightsell dropped 17 points (6-of-13 from the field, 4-of-8 from three) off the bench.
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St. John’s will have a week-long break before they return to face William & Mary (1-0) on Saturday, November 15 at Carnesecca Arena. Tip-off is slated for 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, and the game will be broadcast on truTV.
