A roundup of news articles about yesterday's 82-59 win over the UMBC Retrievers...
Boxscore: St. John's 82, UMBC 59
Red Storm Sports: Lindsey's Near Triple-Double Bolsters St. John's Over UMBC, 82-59
St. John's sophomore guard Nurideen Lindsey came so close to basketball's statistical standard for a great game. But what mattered most was that he and his teammates didn't need to rally for another win.
Lindsey missed a triple-double by one assist and St. John's pulled away to an 82-59 victory over Maryland-Baltimore County on Sunday. St. John's had all five starters score in double figures for the first time since Feb. 26, 2000 in an 83-82 win at Duke - the last non-conference loss for the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Red Storm's first two wins this season featured second-half comebacks. Everyone connected with the young team was hoping for a different script to Sunday's game, and they got it.
"We were all trying to go in same direction early. That's something we talked about the last couple of days," Lindsey said. "It had to be not always playing from behind but come out with more aggression and I think we did a good job of that."
UMBC Retrievers.com: Men's Basketball Falters in Second Half, Falls at St. John's, 82-59
Junior guard Brian Neller (Red Bank, N.J.) led the Retrievers with 13 points, while Chase Plummer (Elizabeth,N.J.) added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
UMBC started quickly, hitting four of its first five shots and grabbing a 10-3 lead at the 16:28 mark of the half. The hosts went on a 9-0 run to take the lead, and built a 35-28 lead with 1:38 to play in the half. But back-to-back 3-point field goals by sophomore Quentin Jones (Ellicott City, Md./Mount St. Joseph) and Neller trimmed the deficit to 35-34 with 50 seconds remaining. The Red Storm went to intermission with a 39-34 advantage.
Newsday: Lindsey, St. John's top UMBC, 82-59
Until now, the artist formerly known as Artest -- he recently officially changed his name to Metta World Peace -- has been invoked because 6-8 freshman Moe Harkless is the highest-ranked New York recruit signed by St. John's since Artest.
But during a breezy 82-59 win over Maryland-Baltimore County at Carnesecca Arena Sunday, Artest's legacy came up in a different context. Newcomer Nurideen Lindsey, a 6-3 sophomore guard from Philadelphia by way of Redlands Community College of El Reno, Okla., came within one assist of achieving the Storm's first triple-double since you-know-who on Jan. 9, 1999.
It wasn't a totally Lindsey show. Harkless was the high scorer with 18 and had the most stunning play of the day, dunking to finish a court-long give-and-go with Sir'Dominic Pointer. All five starters scored in double figures (the first time for St. John's since Feb. 26, 2000, at Duke). Junior guard Malik Stith of Hempstead was especially strong, feeding the rout with all 11 of his points in the first 8:08 of the second half.
Baltimore Sun: St. John's men rout UMBC, 82-59
The Retrievers took a 10-3 lead in the first four minutes, and St. John's (3-0) countered with a 9-0 run. Leading 41-35 at the half, the Red Storm pulled away with a 13-4 run in the opening seven minutes of the second half.
Sophomore Chase Plummer had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and junior Brian Neller had 13 points off the bench to lead UMBC (0-2).
UMBC turned the ball over 20 times and shot only 32.8 percent from the field.
NY Daily News: St. John’s cruises past UMBC, 82-59, in final tune-up before facing Arizona at Garden; Moe Harkless scores 18
In its final warmup before a Garden matchup with No. 16 Arizona, St. John’s seized control in the first half against Maryland-Baltimore County and then rolled to an 82-59 victory at Carnesecca Arena Sunday.
It was an effort Steve Lavin saw as an "all-aboard" moment for his team. "Like a locomotive, we’re at a point in the season where we’re just pulling out of the station," Lavin said. "Our hope is that with each practice and each game, you get a little more steam. You hope by February or March you’re moving down the tracks at a pace where you can do something special. But that’s a long way down the line."
GUESTS OF NOTE: Highly sought Chris Obepka , a 6-9 senior at L.I.) Our Savior New American in Centereach, L.I., and Mike Young , a 6-8 junior at Hudson Catholic in Jersey City, attended the game.
NY Post: St. John’s defeats UMBC 82-59 to improve to 3-0; No. 16 Arizona next
The Red Storm put its entire starting five in double figures for the first time since a Feb. 26, 2000 victory at Duke.
Freshman Mo Harkless had a game-high 18 points, but it was JUCO transfer guard Nurideen Lindsey who orchestrated the offense with a near triple-double, and the defense that allowed just 22.9-percent second-half shooting and inexorably wore down UMBC.
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