Dwight Hardy’s 26 points spurred the St. John’s men’s basketball team to a 93-78 blowout win over No. 3 Duke on Sunday afternoon. The outcome was never in doubt as the Red Storm jumped out to a 46-25 halftime lead on their way to the dominant victory.
St. John’s (12-8, 4-5 Big East) controlled the game with an aggressive trapping defense that forced 17 turnovers and didn’t allow Duke’s 3-point shooters to get in sync. Despite hitting at a 48.1 percent clip this season, the Blue Devils (19-2, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) went 1-for-13 in the first half from beyond the arch and only 5-for-26 overall. In contrast, St. John’s knocked down 58 percent of their attempts from the field and had just 11 turnovers.
In addition to Hardy’s scoring, the Red Storm got major contributions from seniors Justin Brownlee and Paris Horne. Brownlee filled the stat sheet with 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Horne added 15 points and six assists.
Senior guard Nolan Smith was the lone bright spot for the Blue Devils, pacing Duke with 32 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
OSU survives scare
It came down to a last second-shot, but No. 1 Ohio State (22-0, 9-0 Big Ten) was finally able to chalk up their 22nd consecutive victory on Saturday night.
After a back-and-forth affair, the Buckeyes defeated Northwestern (13-8, 3-7 Big Ten), 58-57. Freshman star Jared Sullinger put Ohio State ahead for good by knocking down 1-of-2 free throws with three seconds to go and Northwestern’s desperation heave bounced wide off the top of the backboard as time expired.
While no one expected such a close game going in, the Wildcats would not say die against the heavily-favored Buckeyes. They hung tough throughout the first half and after falling behind early in the second, came storming back with a 21-7 run capped by Michael Thompson’s 3-pointer to put Northwestern up, 55-54, with three minutes, 43 seconds remaining.
Thompson was the star performer for the Wildcats all night, leading the team with 16 points and eight assists. He could not quite put them over the top, however, as OSU senior guard Jon Diebler hit a 3-pointer that broke the momentum of the Wildcats.
Sullinger, as he’s done all season, led the way for the Buckeyes with 21 points and eight rebounds. Freshman guard Aaron Craft added 13 points off the bench as well.
UConn loses in double-OT
Peyton Siva came up big in the clutch for Louisville, topping Connecticut’s Kemba Walker on Saturday night as the Cardinals beat the Huskies, 79-78.
Walker missed the potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation and the second overtime, while Siva tied the game with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and at the end of the first overtime.
The two teams played a hard-fought, even game throughout. No. 19-ranked Louisville (17-4, 6-2 Big East) hung around, despite being behind for most of the game. The Cardinals trailed at the half and retook the lead with 2:26 left in regulation on two Siva free throws.
They struggled in the first overtime as well, falling behind by four with 37 seconds remaining. Nevertheless, Louisville came back to tie it on Siva’s dunk and came up big in the second overtime to seize the victory.
Siva scored 19 points, while junior forward Terrence Jennings added 16. Guards Preston Knowles and Kyle Kuric also contributed 15 points apiece.
It was a three-man game for the Huskies as freshmen guards Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb led the way, scoring 23 and 21 points, respectively. Walker chipped in 20 points but uncharacteristically could not convert when it counted the most.
Ben Lambert can be reached at [email protected].
