St. John’s Basketball: 3 takeaways from Red Storm’s narrow win over Rider

2.) Vince Cole’s 2nd half heroics

The 6-foot 6-inch Cole has been terrific through his first five games as a Red Storm program member. After two excellent years at the JUCO level at the University of South Carolina, Salkehatchie, the Charleston, S.C. native, is averaging 13.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Cole introduced himself to Johnnies’ Nation in grand style, leading the Red Storm to a 76-75 victory over Saint Peter’s with his 21 points in 26 minutes of action.

Tonight, the junior guard/forward singlehandedly lifted the Johnnies to victory, scoring 12 of St. John’s last 14 points to close out the game and clinch the program’s fifth win of the season.

In the first half, Cole led the Red Storm with nine points off 4-of-9 shooting from the field and corralled a team-high seven rebounds.

Cole scored St. John’s first points in the second half, capitalizing on a mid-range jumper to cut Rider’s lead to four at 39-35 with 17:55 left to play. The junior went scoreless for the next 10 minutes of play until knocking down his first three triples in the half at the 6:46 mark to trim St. John’s deficit to three at 63-60.

With 2:45 left in the game, the York Prep grad was clutch when it mattered the most for St. John’s, knocking down two triples and going a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

Cole has proven that he can be relied on to take shots at pivotal moments in games. When Rider prioritized Julian Champagnie from taking over the game on offense, the junior wing stepped in and gave the Johnnies its fifth win of the season.