St. John’s vs. Seton Hall game recap: Pirates use late run and great defense to beat Red Storm in conference opener

Before the season, St. John’s guard D’Angelo Harrison said that Seton Hall was not a rival of the Red Storm. His tune may have changed after St. John’s fell to the Pirates at the Prudential Center by the score of 78-67.

For the Pirates (11-2), Sterling Gibbs led the way with 25 points to go along with eight assists, including a clutch three pointer as the shot clock expired down the stretch in the second half to help extend the lead. The Hall finished the game on a 13-4 run, with many thanks to Gibbs' shooting ways, and they used great defense and rebounding to stop the Johnnies in their tracks down the stretch. This win ended the Pirates three-game losing streak against the Red Storm.

Speaking of rebounding, freshman Angel Delgado was a man on the glass again today as finished with a double-double, 13 points and 12 rebounds. His success on offense in the first half was huge when St. John’s took the early lead.

Two guards really stepped up in the absence of freshman Isaiah Whitehead. Jaren Sina struggled in the first half, but came to life in the second half as he finished with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point land. The other guard that played well was Khadeen Carrington. There were times during the first half where the Pirates struggled to get penetration, but when Carrington came into the game, The Hall was able to drive the basket at will. He finished with 11 points, three assists and two steals, coming up large when he was asked to be.

A season-high five Pirates finished in double figures.

The last of the five, Brandon Mobley, also had a double-double, racking up 13 points and 10 boards. Down the stretch, St. John’s put on the full-court press, but Mobley along with guards helped to break it to eventually seal a win for Kevin Willard's club.

For the Johnnies, (11-2) it was the D'Angelo Harrison Show. The senior did his part as he ended the afternoon with 25 points and was a big problem for the Pirates on the defensive end. However, the Anchorage, Alaska entered foul trouble as the game came to its conclusion and the Red Storm simply could not compensate. Phil Greene IV added in 15 points and tried to lead St. John’s back with the 3-ball, but it was not enough.

St. John’s and Seton Hall will both be back in action on January 3 when the Red Storm host Butler and the Pirates host Villanova.