Red Storm Too Much For Big Red, 86-75

11/18/2008 7:05:13 AM

Box Score

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- St. John's took advantage of Cornell defensive lapses to shoot 54 percent from the floor in capturing an 86-75 victory over the Big Red in the first round of the 2008 NIT Preaseason Tip-Off at Boston College's Conte Forum. The loss snapped a 17-game regular season win streak for Cornell (1-1). The Red Storm remain unbeaten at 2-0.

Ryan Wittman tied his career high with 25 points for the second straight game, but it was center Jeff Foote with the monster game to keep the Big Red in the game. Foote ended the night with 20 points, seven rebounds, five blocked shots, three assists and zero turnovers in 35 minutes of court time. He made 8-of-14 shots from the floor. Senior Brian Kreefer chipped in with 10 points and four rebounds. Cornell shot 44 percent from the floor overall, but just 6-of-17 from beyond the arc. As a team, the Big Red made just 1-of-7 shots from beyond the arc after halftime.

Anthony Mason Jr. had 24 points to lead four double figure scorers, with D,J. Kennedy also over the 20-point threshold with 22. Justin Burrell had an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double and Malik Boothe had 14 points and nine assists in the win. The more athletic Red Storm made 54 percent of its field goals and held a decisive 40-26 edge on the glass to improve to 2-0 and advance to meet Boston College in tomorrow's championship game.

St. John's looked like the confident team early on, running out to a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game and extending the advantage to 12 points at 22-10 with 11:34 left. Cornell was able to slowly chip away at the lead, cutting the deficit to five (27-22) on a three-point play by Wittman with eight minutes to play. The Big Red finally caught all the way back up at 34-34 when Reeves hit a trey from the corner after a quick-hitter pass from Kreefer. It would be the first of four ties in the final four minutes. Cornell took its first lead of the game on the last of five straight points by Wittman at 39-38 with 1:09 left before the break. After the Red Storm regained the lead, Reeves put the Big Red back on top with a pair of free throws. St. John's was able to go into the break with a one-point advantage when D.J. Kennedy scored on a driving layup with 15 seconds left, putting St. John's up 42-41 at the break.

Wittman ended the first half with 16 points to lead Cornell, while Reeves added eight points and four rebounds and Kreefer posted six to go along with three rebounds. The Red Storm hit on 55 percent of its field goals in the first 20 minutes and were led by Kennedy's 16 points.

Much like the first half, St. John's was able to chip away at the Big Red defense and build a double figure lead after Cornell opened the half by taking its final lead of the game on a layup by Foote just 15 seconds into the second half. The Big East foe extended the lead out to 15 with 8:19 left on the clock (73-58), but Cornell had one last run in it. The Big Red converted three three-point plays in the span of three minutes brought the squad back to five (80-75) with 1:37, and after getting a St. John's turnover, had an opportunity to cut into the lead even further. The Cornell offense ran through Foote, and the senior banked a jumper off the glass that rimmed out. Jason Battle got the rebound, but it was stolen away by Kennedy who found Mason Jr. for a leak out, pushing the lead back to seven. Cornell wouldn't get it any closer in the final minute, and fouls pushed the final out to double figures.

Cornell will have a short turnaround as it faces Loyola (MD) in the consolation game of the tournament on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

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