The St. John’s Women’s Basketball team won their first game in Carnesecca Arena since Dec. 15 and snapped a four-game losing streak by winning against Providence Friars 62-55, improving to 12-9 on the season.
The first matchup between these teams this season was a 59-52 overtime heartbreaker in the Friars’ favor, this loss fueled the Johnnies’ freefall within the Big East that saw them drop seven of eight in-conference games and their record fall to 11-9.
With hopes of revenge on St. John’s mind, Head Coach Joe Tartamella deployed a stronger interior defensive force with junior forward Kylie Lavelle getting the starting nod and sophomore forward Nevaeh Wingate making her first career appearance in the starting five.
These lineup changes were made in an attempt to stop Providence’s senior forward and paint beast Olivia Olsen (14 pts, 11 reb, 8-11 FT).
Olsen and the Providence offense were contained in the first quarter, allowing for the Johnnies to gather an early lead thanks to a dynamic backcourt. St. John’s guards were responsible for all 15 points the team scored in the first quarter, with a pair of three-pointers from senior Ariana Vanderhoop (3 pts, 4 reb) and junior Skye Owen (17 pts, 5-5 3P FG) securing a 15-10 lead to end the quarter.
Despite back-to-back three-pointers from Owen and junior captain Jailah Donald extending the lead to as much as eight points, this cushion held by the Red Storm quickly evaporated as Providence settled in.
The Friars proceeded to score 20 unanswered points in a run that lasted over 10 minutes of game time.
A barrage of three-pointers from senior guard Kylee Sheppard (8 pts, 4 stl) ended the first half to put Providence on top 24-23. An interior collapse caused by foul trouble to Lavelle and Wingate led to easy points in the paint for the Friars as they led by 12 before the Johnnies could stop the bleeding.
Much of this run was self-inflicted by St. John’s as they continued to shoot ill-advised jumpers and contested three-pointers. At halftime, the Johnnies were 5-17 from beyond the arc and 9-27 overall from the field.
“It felt like we haven’t made a basket in 10 years,” Tartamella said when addressing the scoreless run. “We struggle to make the normal look normal.”
Senior guard Lashae Dwyer (16 pts, 4 reb) revived the St. John’s offense with a mid-range jumper to finally put them on the board in the third quarter.
An unlikely hero emerged for the Red Storm in the shape of sophomore forward Julie Bahati (6 pts, 4 reb, 4-6 FT) who provided a much-needed spark plug to breathe life back into the team. Bahati played a career-high 12 minutes and was a jack-of-all-trades on both sides of the court.
Bahati was everywhere; winning each loose ball, corralling offensive rebounds and getting trips to the foul line. This grit and tenacity showcased by Bahati propelled St. John’s back into the game, only down 39-38 entering the fourth quarter.
The backcourt tandem of Owen and Dwyer combined for 18 points in the final frame, crushing the Friars and closing the game. Owen made three three-pointers in the fourth quarter, ending her day a perfect 5-5 from three-point land — a career-high.
Owen’s ability to be a closer and dominant scorer was on full display earlier in the season in games against Wake Forest and Marist University. But the clutch gene returned in the final minutes of the game as she sunk her fifth three-pointer to extend the St. John’s lead to 55-49, a deficit that Providence couldn’t come back from.
“I took my time, breathed and I was fine,” Owen said regarding her late-game heroics, “just shoot it like any other day.”
While only their second win in the Big East, an impressive showing like this gives the Johnnies momentum to potentially return to their previous excellent play in the opening games of the season.
The next opponent for St. John’s is against Xavier University on Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. in Carnesecca Arena.
To access the full box score, click here.
