It hasn’t been a banner year for local basketball, to say the least, college or pro. And tonight’s game between St. John’s and Seton Hall epitomizes just about every struggle the Red Storm and Pirates have experienced.
Young, inexperienced point guards. Disjointed offenses. Errant jump-shooting. And tough, scrappy defense, being undermined by all of the above. With Norm Roberts and Louis Orr have been pressing just about every psychological button they can, tonight may well prove pivotal for both struggling clubs.
After a surprisingly strong start, St. John’s (8-12, 2-8 in the Big East) is tied with Rutgers for next-to-last in the league; the Hall (10-10, 2-7) is just one spot ahead. And except for games against winless Providence, chances are both will be underdogs in every league game from now to the end of the season.
“The [last] Seton Hall game was a tough battle here at the Garden, an ugly game; I imagine it’ll be a battle there, too,” Roberts said. “They’re coming off a tough loss to Rutgers where they played well but didn’t win, and we’re coming off a tough loss, so it’s going to be two teams really [battling] to get the win.”
Tonight will be a matchup of the Big East’s two lowest-scoring teams.
St. John’s – which has defended well despite having just one starter over 6-6 – is probably still smarting from the physical pounding taken in a loss at rugged Pittsburgh. The Pirates’ wounds are more emotional, after feeling they were robbed by a bad call in an OT loss at Rutgers.
“You’ve got to dwell on the positive. We made plays down the stretch, we executed, we got the ball in peoples’ hands and they did good things with it,” said Orr, who’d been critical of his team’s toughness last week. “We showed a lot of fight, played with a lot of purpose down the stretch. We played together, of one accord. That’s what we want to take and build on.”
Seton Hall has lost its last three games – largely due to an offense last in the league in scoring and shooting – while St. John’s has lost eight of 10, shooting under 30 percent in its last three games.