St. John’s squares off with MAAC opponent Rider; Julian Champagnie and the Johnnies look to claim its fifth win of the season.
TV schedule: Tuesday, December 8, 7:00 pm ET. CBS Sports Network
Arena: Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y.
St. John’s looks to capture its fifth win of the 2020-21 campaign on Tuesday when it welcomes Rider to Carnesecca Arena for a 7 p.m. showcase. Mike Anderson’s squad is coming off an 89-66 victory on its home court over Long Island rival Stony Brook of the America East Conference.
After suffering its first loss of the season to BYU last Wednesday in Bubbleville, 74-68, St. John’s (4-1) responded with its third home triumph of the 2020-21 campaign in commanding fashion over the Seawolves.
Julian Champagnie, who was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Monday, led the Red Storm with 23.3 points and six rebounds per contest over the three games the Johnnies played last week. In Monday’s win over former BIG EAST rival Boston College, the Bishop Loughlin grad scored a career-high 29 points and corralled 10 rebounds to secure a double-double in his first game of the season. The Brooklyn native also led the Johnnies with 25 points in Wednesday’s loss to BYU.
Junior guard Greg Williams Jr. is averaging 13.4 points per contest in his first full season as a starter for Mike Anderson’s squad. The Lafayette, La. native has been an efficient scorer in the team’s first five contests, making 20 of his 38 attempts (52.6%) from the field and 23-for-30 from the charity stripe. The Lafayette Christian Academy grad posted a season-high 21 points and six steals in Sunday’s triumph over Stony Brook.
Newcomers Vince Cole and Posh Alexander have been crucial additions to the starting lineup for Coach Anderson. Cole and Alexander are currently averaging 11.2 and 10.4 points per game respectively, and have been vital replacements for the injured Rasheem Dunn and now eligible Oregon-transfer LJ Figueroa.
Cole, the JUCO transfer from Charleston, S.C., combined for 40 points in his first two games as a Johnnie in wins over St. Peter’s and La Salle. Alexander, the Brooklyn native, and Our Savior Lutheran grad, scored 18 points, dished five assists, and grabbed four rebounds in St. John’s win over Boston College in Bubbleville last Monday.
Rider (0-1) knew the 2020-21 campaign would be a rebuilding season, having lost eight players from the previous year. This season, Head Coach Kevin Baggett has 12 newcomers to add to his rotation and will need to replace 87% of its scoring from last year’s squad. Tuesday’s contest with the Johnnies will be another opportunity for the Broncs to figure out their future breakout players.
The Broncs lost in their season-opener to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome this past Saturday, 87-52, but had key contributions from a variety of players.
Junior guard Dwight Murray Jr. had an exceptional debut with the Broncs against the Orange. The transfer from Incarnate Word scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished six assists, and had 3 steals in 38 minutes of action. Christian Ings, Rodney Henderson, and Allen Powell combined for 25 points, and Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson secured eight rebounds in the loss on Saturday.
St. John’s has won each of the 11 games the two programs have played against each other. The last time the Red Storm and the Broncs met each other on the hardwood, the Lou Carnesecca-led Johnnies knocked off the Broncs, 79-69, in the ECAC Festival at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 29, 1995.