St. John's vs Franklin Pierce: Red Storm use second half surge to secure the win 94-81

St. John's got a scare for a half from a Division II school, but ramped up the pressure to win 94-81 over Franklin Pierce.

Whether its a question of effort or coaching or preparation, St. John's was outplayed by Franklin Pierce in the first half.

Early on, dealing with foul trouble to Chris Obekpa, St. John's found themselves in a battle. Perimeter defense was non-existent allowing easy dribble penetration, uncontested shots at the rim, and wide open looks from beyond the arc. After seeing Franklin Pierce knock down nearly 60% of their three-point attempt Lavin decided to switch to a zone defense.

All-in-all the Ravens went 8-14 (57%) from three in the first half, with Ryan Vilmont going 5-7 on his own - with the Red Storm tallying only one block in the first half.

The second half told a different story however, with the Red Storm going on a 21-0 run. D`Angelo Harrison was a one man wrecking crew scoring 20 points in the second half and a total of 31 for the game knocking down five threes in the process. He also led the team with 17 boards.

Rysheed Jordan added 19 points, and showed great poise distributing the basketball collecting six assists. Phil Greene IV chipped in a quiet 18 points to go along go along with two steals.

The Johnnies ratcheted up the defensive intensity in the second half as well with steals, blocks and noticeable perimeter pressure. The effort on defense lead to Franklin Pierce shooting under 30% from the field and under 20% from beyond the arc in the half.

St. John's looks to improve with a matchup against LIU Wednesday November 19 at 7:30 pm.

The Rumble has you covered for all your Red Storm updates leading up to the game.