Seton Hall 88, St. John’s 66: Rapid Red Storm Reaction

Joel Soriano battled, but St. John’s was no match for Seton Hall Saturday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Jason Dimaio (@JasonDimaio1)

NEWARK, N.J. — If the panic and urgency hasn't already set in for St. John's, it most certainly has now.

After what seemed to be a carbon copy of the Red Storm’s performance ten days ago at Villanova, St. John's fell to 11-5 and 1-3 in Big East play after an 88-66 waxing at Seton Hall, giving Pirates head coach Shaheen Holloway his first conference win of the season and extending the St. John’s losing streak to three.

After a strong start on the road against an electric Seton Hall crowd where St. John's seemed to be bringing over the energetic, in-your-face play it showed during the last ten minutes of Wednesday's loss to Xavier, Mike Anderson shook up the lineup, having Andre Curbelo and David Jones come of the bench, and it seemed the adjustment was working, as the Johnnies went up by an 18-8 margin early and did whatever they wanted against a Seton Hall team trying to figure out who it was up against.

Much like Villanova, the Pirates made adjustments with 10 minutes to go in the opening stanza, locking in defensively and forcing St. John's into a half-court game in which the offense for the Johnnies went dry in the process. What had been a 10-point lead quickly evaporated into a 42-37 deficit at halftime as Kadary Richmond iced the first half by hitting a three at the buzzer. Momentum was fully on the Pirates’ side and they didn't look back. 

When adversity knocks St. John's down, the Red Storm has been unable to get up, something Anderson said needs to change. 

“We'll go down eight points and have some bad possessions and quick shots,” he reiterated. “We haven't handled adversity well at all.”

Joel Soriano was having a feast, finishing with 23 points and 11 rebounds, but nobody else could get anything going against a Seton Hall team that outscored the Red Storm by a 46-29 margin after halftime. Posh Alexander's struggles continued, as the junior finished with just two points on a mere 1-of-6 shooting from the field. The plan was simple for Seton Hall: Let Soriano get his, but make life miserable for everyone else.

“I didn't do a good job of getting our guys prepared,” Anderson remarked. “I take responsibility for today.”

For a fan base that has already started making its qualms with the coach known, that is the last thing it wants to hear. Lack of preparation cannot happen on any night in the Big East, and most certainly not for a team that just four games into Big East play, already has its back against the wall.

If St. John's wants to turn this around, it needs to get a win against a red-hot Marquette team Tuesday at Carnesecca Arena to get this season going in the right direction, otherwise things might be getting much worse before they get better.