St. John's women to play Texas Tech
Forward Da'Shena Stevens in an undated file photo. Credit: AP
If consistency is considered one of the main requirements in building a quality college basketball program, St. John's women's coach Kim Barnes Arico should be feeling really good about things.
For the second season in a row and the third time in six years, the Red Storm is headed to the women's NCAA Tournament. It's only the second time in school history that the St. John's women have made consecutive appearances in the tournament.
The ninth-seeded Red Storm (21-10) will face No. 8 Texas Tech (22-10) in a first-round game Saturday at Stanford University in the Spokane Regional. If the Storm wins, it most likely will play Monday against No. 1 seed Stanford (29-2), which is ranked second in the nation.
"This says a lot about where we are as a program," Barnes Arico said. "It speaks to our consistency and I definitely think we're here to stay."
Junior forward Da'Shena Stevens and sophomores Shenneika Smith and Nadirah McKenith have accounted for much of the Red Storm's production. Sophomores Eugeneia McPherson and Amanda Burakoski and seniors Sky Lindsay and Coco Hart also have emerged as consistent contributors.
Despite having only two seniors, the squad is tournament-tested. St. John's advanced to the second round last year and fell to Florida State, 66-65. Barnes Arico believes the experience gained last season should curtail any jitters the team might have.
"This is a weird group," Barnes Arico said. "The bigger the game, the more they step up."
The challenge facing the Red Storm on Saturday is a tough one. Texas Tech upset Baylor on Feb. 19, joining Connecticut as the only teams to beat the Bears.
"They're tremendously athletic and they play in one of the top leagues in the country," Barnes Arico said. "And beating Baylor was quite an accomplishment."
Barnes Arico is confident her group will be up for the challenge.
"We play in the best league in the country," she said of the Big East, which sent a record nine teams to the tournament. "They'll be mentally ready for the challenge."
