The St. John’s Women’s Basketball team (10-1) kept a steady lead throughout a Dec. 15 home contest to successfully defeat the Fairfield Stags 77-68.
The Red Storm wrapped up their non-conference play with the nine-point win cementing a 10-1 record to start out the season. The run marks their highest win total in non-conference play since 2010 and the best record from any team in the Big East in regards to non-conference totals.
“We’re an interesting team, we’ve won in a million different ways that I don’t see at practice because I lose my mind about what I see most of the time,” Tartamella said. “But they find a way to really perform with each other and for each other.”
What really kept St. John’s in front throughout the game was their bench players, totaling 27, and led by Phoenix Gedeon and Ariana Vanderhoop who both had 11. Both players played in over 25 minutes, coming up big for the Red Storm when needed, as Skye Owen and Kylie Lavelle struggled to fit the script.
“We felt we could do a lot of things with different lineups this year, and I believe it’s been a while since we’ve gotten that kind of contribution,” Head Coach Joe Tartaemella said postgame. “I thought Skye was good earlier, and then she just kind of struggled a little bit today and they picked her up.”
The Red Storm faced problems throughout the game in trying to keep the Stags out of reach, giving Fairfield multiple opportunities in the second half to create a run. Fairfield sophomore guard Kaety L’Amoreaux led the way in scoring, totaling 30 points with 22 in the second half of the game.
“Phoenix was terrific today,” Tartamella continued. “If you gave me a sheet and asked what it would look like for her, this is the best sheet she’s ever had here.”
The usage of Gedeon lasted throughout the game, playing in 30 total minutes, a season-high, also having highs in points and assists (3).
The Sunday afternoon action started with a quick mid-range jumper from Owen, but Fairfield quickly answered with a layup from sophomore Meghan Andersen.
The Stags provided a full-court press early on, forcing six total turnovers from the Red Storm by closing up passing lanes. The Red Storm’s scoring overall was not affected, going 80 percent from the field to close out a close 20-15 start in the first quarter.
The Red Storm capitalized off a technical foul from L’Amoreaux in the second quarter, going on a 14-9 run to close out the first half with a 40-30 lead. The turnover numbers died down for the Johnnies, with just two in the second quarter as they used to pick and roll offense more effectively, with Gedeon cashing in for six points.
The Red Storm struggled to start the second half, with three fouls through just three minutes of play. L’Amoeaux had a huge quarter for Fairfield, totaling 12 points without missing a shot. The Johnnies picked up play with five minutes remaining as Ber’Nyah Mayo led the team with 10 points in the quarter. St. John’s entered the final quarter of play with a 62-51 lead.
The same story remained in the fourth quarter as the Red Storm struggled to put the Stags out of reach, trailing on a 7-4 run once again led by L’Amoreaux with five points. St. John’s quickly put four points on the board out of a media timeout, but Fairfield did the same thing they’d done all day, answering back with four points.
Andersen hit a three to pull Fairfield within eight points with 25 seconds remaining, but a steal by Lashae Dwyer with 13 seconds left sealed the game in the Red Storm’s favor.
Mayo led the team in scoring with 18 points, scoring 15 of those in the second half alone. Her season-high scoring effort proved her offensive capabilities as she bested her previous season-high of 11 from a matchup against Harvard on Nov. 28.
The graduate guard came up big with two free throws in response to a Fairfield three, relatively icing the game for the Johnnie’s late in the fourth.
“Understanding I’ve been there before. I’ve shot these free throws at the end game since probably middle school so it’s really understanding,” Mayo said post-game when asked about how to keep composure in stressful situations.
The St. John’s Women’s Basketball team will take a six-day break before heading to Villanova for their first Big East matchup of the 2024-2025 season on Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. EST.
To access the final box score from the St. John’s win, click here.
