St. John’s takes down Seton Hall after furious rally

In the early goings of their matchup, Seton Hall got out to an 18-0 lead on St. John’s. Their gaudy lead represented a stranglehold they maintained throughout the first half of the action. The Red Storm got to as close as six, as they were held down in the first 20 minutes.

The second half of the game was much different, however. A 9-2 run in the first few minutes got them within three. Moments later, the Red Storm tied the game, which extended the run to 16-6. Tyrese Samuel broke the tie with a layup, but that would be the last lead Seton Hall held. A 12-0 run by the Johnnies sent the Pirates crashing into the rocks and propelled the lead up to 10.

By game’s end, St. John’s celebrated an 81-71 victory. The miraculous comeback win spurs them some serious momentum heading into Wednesday’s Big East Tournament. Consequently, it sends the Pirates further down the chute, as they lost out on a major opportunity for a big win.

Four Red Storm players entered into double figures in the win. Julian Champagnie led, to no surprise, with 22 points on the night. He was joined by Dylan Addae-Wasu (14), Marcellus Earlington (12), and Greg Williams (11), who all had double-digit efforts. Champagnie had six rebounds, two steals, and just two turnovers while playing 35 minutes.

Seton Hall also had four double-figure scorers in the losing effort. Sandro Mamukelashvili led the charge with 15 points and scored a double-double with 10 rebounds. Shavar Reynolds (13), Bryce Aiken, and Jared Rhoden (10) all accompanied Mamu in double figures. Rhoden finished with seven rebounds, tied with Ike Obiagu in that category.

These two teams will meet soon again, as they’re playing each other in a Big East Tourney quarterfinal game on Thursday.