After every week of mourning, St. John’s celebrated.
It celebrated Lou Carnesecca with a second-half efficiency he can be pleased with.
Rick Pitino donned a custom-made sweatshirt, and his gamers carried out like one in every of Carnesecca’s squads, turning up the stress on protection and executing at a excessive stage on the different finish.
A sold-out crowd that included Felipe Lopez and Walter Berry was on its ft on a number of events, because the Johnnies erased a 10-point, first-half deficit with as thorough a closing 20 minutes as this group has performed within the workforce’s first recreation since Carnesecca’s loss of life on the age of 99.
The end result was a one-sided, 88-71 win over Kansas State within the Massive East-Massive 12 Battle at aptly-named Carnesecca Area.
The day started with chants of “Lou” and ended with chants of “Zuby,” for junior ahead Zuby Ejiofor, who was a power, producing 28 factors, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Deivon Smith (5 factors, 9 rebounds, three assists) returned after a one-game suspension to offer a spark, and Simeon Wilcher and Ruben Prey additionally contributed off the bench.
At halftime, there was nervous vitality within the constructing after such an emotional pre-game ceremony, St. John’s holding a second of silence for Carnesecca and taking part in a video montage shortly earlier than tip-off.
Kansas State led by 4 and had made 8 of 13 3-point pictures.
The identical points that plagued St. John’s within the loss to Georgia and a slender win over Harvard — poor capturing, shaky 3-point protection — had been nonetheless hurting the Johnnies.
A unique workforce confirmed up within the second half.
The ball moved. The protection was on level.
St. John’s pushed tempo and scored in transition.
It ripped off 20 of the primary 25 factors after the break to take the lead for good.
Carnesecca Area was louder than it had been all yr.
The Crimson Storm piled up 53 factors over the ultimate 20 minutes on 53 p.c capturing.
After Ejiofor scored inside, pushing the result in 17 with 8:40 to go, the end result was not doubtful.
St. John’s was going to cruise to a win on Lou Carnesecca Day.
On the horn, a Johnnie’s coach in an eclectic sweater was victorious.
