New York news outlets stayed home for this game. Rightfully so. It was a trouncing.
Ice covered Morgantown and the game was going to be a blowout. Our recap is already posted.
Here are the post game media links:
Five Boro Sports: Horne, poor-shooting St. John's fall to West Virginia in Morgantown
St. John’s (11-9, 2-6 Big East) shot only 36.7 percent for the game and never really could get a rhythm going in the halfcourt against a long and aggressive West Virginia defense. The Red Storm succeeded at times on fast breaks and off turnovers, but those opportunities didn’t come nearly often enough to pull out a win.
St. Ray’s product Darryl (Truck) Bryant, who was also recruited by St. John’s, had a strong first half and finished with eight points, three assists and two steals in 21 minutes. The leading scorer in Ravens history has been starting due to the injury of point guard Joe Mazzulla.
Another local recruit the Red Storm sought, Kevin Jones out of Mount Vernon, made an impact, too. The 6-foot-8 freshman had eight points and six rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.
Martinsburg Journal: WVU drills St. John's
The Red Storm, which trailed by as many as 32 points, trailed 8-0 at the start and never could pose a threat against WVU, which played tough defense and made 44.4 percent of its shots (26 of 63).
St. John's (11-9, 2-4) shot only 36.7 percent from the field (18 of 49) and committed 18 turnovers, 13 in the first half, to 14. The Mountaineers managed a 39-33 edge in rebounding.
Coach Bob Huggins cleaned his bench of all 13 players, including sophomore Jonnie West, who has been idle since breaking his foot in practice last month. He and 10 others got into the game before halftime when West Virginia led by 36-20.
West Virginia Metro News: Mountaineers Dominate St. John's
"I showed them before the game just to make sure they understood where we are in the league and what happens when you drop games that you really have a chance to win," Huggins said. "I think our RPI today was 17, which is higher than any of the people that are about where we are in the standings right now."...
"We tried to limit their touches, but Ruoff got some good looks early," said St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts. "Da’Sean (Butler), he is so big and moves so well without the ball. I think we allowed our lack of offensive production affect our defense. We are a much better defensive team than what we played and we have done a much better job of guarding."
Charleston Daily Mail: Mountaineers take care of St. John's
Ruoff started the game by posting up and using his 6-foot-6 frame and three-inch height advantage over Paris Horne. It worked twice before Ruoff started working his way outside...
St. John's (11-9, 2-6) suffered its worst Big East loss of the season and has dropped all its league games by at least 11 points. It finished with seven assists and 18 turnovers.
Blue-Gold News (Scout): Butler, Ruoff Lead WVU Over St. John's
West Virginia’s first-half play was consistent on both ends. The Mountaineers collected 13 points off of 13 St. John’s turnovers in the opening half, and limited the Red Storm to making just nine of its 26 first-half shots. Many of the misses came from point-blank range. All in all, WVU’s first half effort was too much for St. John’s to overcome. West Virgini
"We turned the ball over too many times," said SJU head coach Norm Roberts, who has never beaten WVU. "We talked about making simple plays and playing out of character. (The Mountaineers) do that to you, but honestly we missed about three of four bunnies. If you make those shots, your team gets confidence and you play well. We didn’t finish plays inside that we had a chance to make."
For just the second time this season, WVU unveiled a defense that extended beyond half court. Earlier in the year against Delaware State, the Mountaineers briefly set up in a full-court 1-2-2 alignment. Against the Red Storm, West Virginia showed a half-court trap.
"We knew they were going to do that to us," said Roberts. "We just have to get stronger on the attack. We have young guards, but they have been through the wars now. We just have to be tougher with the ball."
MSN Sports Net: WVU Claims Another League Win
Darryl "Truck" Bryant also had a sound first half on offense, making 4-of-6 shots for 8 points. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native was aggressive yet again driving to the basket, including a layup at the 19:17 mark in which he committed his dribble across the right lane before going behind the back to finish on the left side.
WVU’s victory over St. John’s marks its ninth consecutive win over the Red Storm. The Mountaineers’ home win is their fifth straight against the Johnnies in Morgantown.
Times West Virginian: Butler-Ruoff duo doing it all for WVU
WOWK-TV: WVU Blows Out Saint John's