New York City – They were upset minded but couldn’t pull it off. Duke defeated St. John’s in the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden. The 60-42 triumph put the Blue Devils at an unblemished 8-0. The Storm fell to 4-3.

The efficiency numbers for the Red Storm players in the Duke game. Those logging 10 or more minutes are listed:

EFF = Pts + REB + A + Blk + Stl – (missed FGA + Missed FTA + TO)

Duke defended Smith extremely well limiting her to 8 points. The 6-1 senior did record four blocked shots. McKenith provided the offense as the lone St.John’s’ double figure scorer with a game high 19 points. Her eight turnovers had a marked effect on the efficiency.

The positives. Coach Joe Tartamella praised the St. John’s effort in battling despite looking at a 15 point halftime deficit. The Storm did a better job limiting turnovers the last twenty minutes and I general, played much better over that juncture.

The negative. A few items. McKenith had an outstanding game but little help in the scoring column. Another consistent scorer must emerge, especially in Big East play. The Red Storm was bothered by Duke’s size, especially Elizabeth Williams with 16 points 7 boards, and dug a hole as Duke enjoyed a 17-4 edge in points off turnovers the first half. Attacking the Duke zone was not easy. Getting in the gaps and inside was not easy and many times St. John’s settled for perimeter shots. Again, the Blue Devil size was a contributing factor. Next up: Tennessee Tech on Saturday in holiday classic at Carnesecca Arena.