Jillian Archer recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds, securing her third double-double of the season in St. John’s win over Loyola Maryland on Wednesday. (Photo by Sara Kiernan/The Torch)
By Kyler Fox (@kylerrfox)
NEW YORK — After beginning the season of giving by dropping three games in Puerto Rico, St. John’s defended its home court Wednesday, snapping a three-game losing streak in a 71-49 win over Loyola Maryland.
The Red Storm did so in convincing fashion, as the final score was not indicative of how one-sided the contest truly was.
Redshirt senior Unique Drake continued her hot start to the season, leading the hosts with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Her stroke from deep continues to be lethal while playing at home, as she rattled in four of her five attempts from beyond the arc.
In addition to Drake’s dominance, graduate student Jillian Archer proved to be a force in the paint. The Georgetown transfer tallied 12 points and 11 rebounds, securing a double-double before the halftime buzzer. The Red Storm (3-5) outrebounded the Greyhounds by 16, including 18 offensive rebounds, three courtesy of Archer.
The most impressive aspect of the Johnnies’ victory was their success in transition. St. John’s was defending and running the break perfectly to the tune of 20 points in transition, while allowing none. Once the Red Storm had its foot on the gas, it did not let up. Despite the lopsided result, Loyola Maryland saw sophomore forward Kelly Ratigan explode for 23 points, connecting on five of the Greyhounds seven made threes. Ratigan got hot midway through the third quarter, but it would prove to be in vain as she received little help from her teammates.
In the postgame press conference, Archer discussed the potential of being the Red Storm’s lone post in a smaller lineup going forward.
“The biggest thing is just going out there trying to play to our strengths,” she said. “While we might have point guards and myself, (there is) a lot of emphasis on rebounding.”
With a young roster in desperate need of a victory, head coach Joe Tartamella expressed the adjustments he made in light of the winless trip to Puerto Rico.
“We watched a ton of film, and broke down possessions that I thought we gave away,” he said. “Today there was some legitimate thought to the shots we took, or didn’t take. I was pleased with that.”
After punching a ticket to the NCAA Tournament last season, St. John’s will need to turn things around quickly if it has hopes of repeating that feat. Now sitting at 3-5 and near the bottom of the Big East, the Red Storm will travel to Marist Saturday with hopes of building its newfound momentum.
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