St. John’s topples Fairfield en route to best non-conference start in 14 years

Joe Tartamella looks on as St. John’s takes on Fairfield Sunday. (Photo by Sebastian Zelaya/The Torch)

By Kyler Fox (@kylerrfox)

NEW YORK — Having won 10 of their first 11 contests, Joe Tartamella and his St. John’s women’s basketball program pride themselves on owning a defensive identity.

In a matinee matchup in Queens, Tartamella’s crew was forced to pivot from its usual style of play to a balanced offensive attack due to a monstrous 30-point performance by Fairfield’s Kaety L’Amoreaux. The change in tactics was successful, as five Johnnies tallied double-digit scoring totals in a wire-to-wire 77-68 victory for the hosts.

“I thought we guarded enough, even though we gave (L’Amoreaux) 30,” Tartamella admitted postgame. “Which is a problem, but we did enough and certainly needed this for the bigger picture.”

The triumph at Carnesecca Arena pushed the Red Storm’s record to 10-1, its best start ahead of conference play since the 2010-11 campaign—two seasons before Tartamella took over the helm. And if it not for a gut-wrenching loss in the final seconds on November 28 against Harvard, St. John’s would have headed into Villanova undefeated.

“When you talk about scoring, defense, and pressure, (we’re) an interesting team,” Tartamella said. “We’ve won in a million different ways that I don’t see at practice, but they find a way to perform with and for each other.”

Sunday’s win exemplified the 45-year-old head coach’s comments, showcasing the group’s “next man up” ability. After Penn State transfer Kylie Lavelle fell into foul trouble early, St. John’s turned to its veteran backup big, Phoenix Gedeon. Now in her second season in the red and white, Gedeon provided an instant impact upon arrival. The Red Storm had committed six turnovers in the opening frame alone, but once it began utilizing the senior anchor in the pick-and-roll, the mistakes subsided.

Gedeon’s performance extended beyond an 11-point outing. On the other end, she grabbed seven rebounds while putting her body on the line to the tune of three drawn charges.

“Phoenix was terrific today. There’s nothing else I can say about it,” Tartamella said. “This is the best stat sheet she’s ever had.”

Beyond Gedeon’s grit, Miami transfer Lashae Dwyer and second-year Johnny Ber’Nyah Mayo combined to neutralize the visitor’s top option. The backcourt duo combined for 31 points, accounting for nearly half of their team’s total scoring output. And then there was Ariana Vanderhoop, a fifth-year senior transfer out of Monmouth, who may be Tartamella’s most visually pleasing offensive weapon. While her nightly average has dropped, her flashes of talent remain evident, highlighted by the second-highest scoring total of her St. John’s tenure. Vanderhoop’s rhythm was on full display early, resulting in a 13-point afternoon.

“I’m just excited to see us keep growing going into conference play,” Vanderhoop confidently declared.

Boasting a historic record ahead of Saturday’s clash at Big East rival Villanova, Tartamella and the Red Storm look to lean on their versatility to climb beyond their current ranking of 42 in the NCAA’s NET ranking.