Storm gives up big leads, loses to Bonnies
St. John's University's Justin Brownlee watches a ball roll out of bounds. (Dec. 7, 2010) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
Twice St. John's let a double-digit lead dissipate into a deficit and twice they managed - just managed - to get back on top last night. But these games against St. Bonaventure are starting to become more than close shaves, and the Red Storm have the razor burn to prove it.
Andrew Nicholson hit a jumper with 5.2 seconds left to give St. Bonaventure a 67-66 lead. Then St. John's Dwight Hardy took a shot with time expiring. But the ball - and the Red Storm - came up just short at Carnesecca Arena.
"I told our kids, the things we struggled with tonight are correctable," said coach Steve Lavin, pointing to a 10-for-20 free-throw performance and less than aggressive effort at times.
Hardy had career highs in points (24) and minutes (36). He hit a layup with 29 seconds to go that gave St. John's (5-2) its last lead, 66-65, before Nicholson's late-game winner.
Justin Brownlee came off the bench for 14 points for St. John's, part of a 31-point effort from the Storm's non-starters. Paris Horne had six points.
Much of St. John's game plan centered on containing the explosive Nicholson, who burned the Red Storm defense for 26 points in their 2009 matchup. St. John's escaped with a 69-68 win in that game, and wanted some more cushion this time around. After averaging 18.8 points coming into last night, Nicholson was held to just two in the first half. But he turned it on in the second, finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
But perhaps the game never should have come down to Nicholson's shot, as St. John's squandered double-digit leads in both halves.
In the first, the Red Storm got out to a 13-2 lead. But Nicholson's two free throws - his only points of the half - with 8:14 left tied the score at 17.
St. John's eventually recovered to go into halftime with a 33-31 lead. They expanded that to a 47-37 edge with 13:02 to go. But Ogo Adegboye tied the score at 47 with a three-pointer with 10:39 left, capping a 10-0 SBU run.
St. John's eventually retook a slim lead, but St. Bonaventure refused to be put away, constantly keeping its deficit within a single shot and setting up the last-second dramatics.
Said Hardy: "I think we should win every game. We're a good team and we work hard. But unfortunately the tables didn't turn that way tonight."
