For 30 minutes, an upset didn’t just seem possible. It seemed probable. Point guard Posh Alexander — the St. John’s engine — was on the bench in street clothes and a walking boot. St. Francis Brooklyn couldn’t miss.
This felt like it was going to be the kind of early-season loss to take a chunk of air out of the St. John’s balloon.
But seemingly flipping a switch, the Johnnies found their defensive legs over the final 10 minutes. Coach Mike Anderson went to a small lineup with Julian Champagnie as his tallest player to counter 27-point underdog St. Francis’ five-out attack. And his players, particularly Champagnie, asserted themselves down the stretch to avoid the massive upset, 76-70, Tuesday night at Carnesecca Arena.
“We just got after it,” Champagnie said. “We just came together. We pulled it out. At some point, things started to click. The goals we’re striving for, we have to win games [like this]. It was just us finding the right five at the time. We kept getting stops, we kept getting easy buckets in transition and pushing the pace.”
Over the final 10:06, winless St. Francis (0-4) managed just six points, two made field goals and committed nine turnovers. Champagnie outscored the Brooklyn school himself, 13-6, and finished with one of the better all-around games of his career: 23 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocks. Montez Mathis followed with 20 points in the best game of his young St. John’s career, and Stef Smith and Dylan Addae-Wusu, filling in for Alexander at the point, each had 10.
They all were sound defensively in those final 10 minutes, ensuring that St. John’s (4-1) wouldn’t lose a game that would be a blotch on its NCAA Tournament résumé. That strong finish, however, did not erase the ugly opening 30 minutes in which the Terriers were the better, tougher and more aggressive team. It didn’t hide the rebounding disparity or porous perimeter defense that enabled St. Francis to, at one juncture, lead St. John’s in second-chance points, 23-2, or make nine of its first 14 3-point attempts. Clearly, St. John’s missed its two point guards, Alexander (right leg strain) and freshman Rafael Pinzon (fracture in his left ring finger), but that didn’t completely explain the subpar performance.
“We didn’t play defense. We didn’t play defense like we’re capable of playing,” Anderson said. “We didn’t play with the grit we got to play with. We didn’t play with the toughness we got to play with. I’m happy with the win, but at the same time, we got work to do. Our leading rebounders were Jules and Dylan. I’ve got a problem with that.”
During his postgame press conference, Anderson chafed at the criticism his non-conference schedule has received. Of St. John’s 11 opponents, five are ranked 248th or lower by the analytic website, KenPom.com. The Johnnies’ last two wins, over Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Francis, have come against teams ranked 327 and 325, respectively.
“Everybody’s got players,” Anderson said. “I get a kick out of it. At the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is become the best team we can be.”
He declined to answer a follow-up question about the schedule, whether these games against heavy underdogs have a role in these two recent lackluster performances. His focus is on his team improving. Champagnie didn’t use that as an excuse after the wins on Saturday or Tuesday. The emphasis, he believes, has to be on starting with more energy and intensity.
“Honestly, I just think we have to be better,” the junior said. “There’s no specific reason. It’s just a mindset. We have to come out and play better in the first half. We have to do it.”
St. John’s hosted Christ the King sophomore guard Dwayne Pierce for the game.