Posh Alexander's 18 points help St. John's take big leap with win over UConn
St. John's guard Posh Alexander (0) shoots against Connecticut guard Brendan Adams (10) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. Credit: AP/David Butler II
Mike Anderson called it "another step" forward in St. John’s evolution as a team. It looked more like a giant leap for the Red Storm.
Leading scorer Julian Champagnie had a rare poor performance on Monday at 23rd-ranked Connecticut, but it did not prove the Red Storm’s undoing. Instead, it was a call to arms, and Posh Alexander, Marcellus Earlington and Dylan Addae-Wusu answered it.
With that trio performing well above their averages, the Red Storm pulled out a 74-70 Big East win in Storrs, Connecticut.
Alexander, who had been averaging 9.3 points, scored 18, hitting three three-pointers and adding six assists and three steals. Earlington had averaged 6.8 points but came off the bench to score 15, including three three-pointers. Addae-Wusu had 10 points after averaging 5.6.
"I know what I can do," Alexander said. "I like to get my team involved. But if it comes down to I see Julian can’t get it, I’ll step up and take over and lead my team to a win."
After St. John’s (8-7, 3-6) halted a four-game winning streak by UConn (7-2, 4-2), Huskies coach Dan Hurley called it "a brutal loss." He added:
"Credit St John’s: They’re just so relentlessly competitive and they were just tougher than us, especially down the stretch
. Posh Alexander just absolutely destroyed us off the dribble, and while doing a pretty good job on Champagnie, [when] you allow Wusu and Earlington to get 25 points, it’s going to be pretty hard to win."
St. John’s trailed by 14 in the first half and 57-49 with 8:50 to play.
Champagnie (12 points) was 0-for-7 from the floor before his first basket — a three-pointer with 7:21 left — helped St. John’s catch up.
"That is the sign of a good player, when a guy can still have an impact on a game when he isn’t scoring or at his best," Anderson said. "It makes a big impact on our basketball team."
R.J. Cole led UConn with 18 points.
"We have been in so many close games, so many where we were right in position to win it, and so confidence has to kick in when you are playing against a UConn team that is playing really well," Anderson said. "On the road . . . . off a tough loss to Marquette, I can’t say enough about the play of our guys."
Said Alexander, "I personally feel like we can beat any team in the country, any team in our league. Now we are coming together a little bit more."
Williams hurting. Greg Williams Jr. was limited to six minutes by back discomfort. Anderson said it’s "been lingering." A back issue was responsible for his slow start last season.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
