After a 5-0 weekend at St. John’s University, several athletes earned Big East Conference honors. Men’s Basketball guard/forward RJ Luis Jr., Women’s Basketball guard Lashae Dwyer, Volleyball setter Erin Jones and libero Rashanny Solano Smith and Men’s Soccer senior defender Thomas Lamaille. Here’s what these athletes accomplished this week to get recognized.
RJ Luis Jr. Returns to the Court and Picks Up a Big East Honor Roll Mention
Following a season-opener performance that saw only 13 minutes of play due to foul trouble on Nov. 5, RJ Luis Jr. transformed on the court for St. John’s (2-0) against Quinnipiac on Nov. 9. The junior guard produced 24 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes during the 96-73 victory that consequently placed him on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll on Nov. 11.
The Miami native averaged 18 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 90 percent from the line in the Red Storm’s opening week.
The team’s first two resounding victories also boosted St. John’s into the No. 22 spot on the AP Top-25 Poll for the first time since a one-week stint in January 2019.
Luis Jr. and company will take on Wagner at Carnesecca Arena Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. EST.
Lashae Dwyer Earns Big East Honor Roll for Women’s Basketball
The St. John’s Women’s Basketball team’s 50th season is off to a 2-0 start, thanks in part to new recruit Lashae Dwyer.
After a blowout 80-39 home opener win against Saint Peter’s on Nov. 4, the team traveled to Long Island University (LIU) on Nov. 8 to keep the pace with a 67-50 win over the Sharks. Dwyer was tabbed to the Big East Honor Roll on Nov. 11 after averaging 14.0 points in her first week with the Red Storm.
The senior guard put up 16 points against Saint Peter’s and 12 against LIU. She also averaged 3.0 assists per game and 2.5 steals. With two straight double-digit performances under her belt, Dwyer is poised to rack up many more Big East honors throughout the season — all while helping the Red Storm return to the national stage they found two years ago.
Dwyer and the rest of the Red Storm will continue their three-game road stint against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. EST.
Erin Jones and Rashanny Solano Smith Earn Big East Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week
The St. John’s Women’s Volleyball began their weekend with two crucial wins, the first over the DePaul Blue Demons on Nov. 8 and the second against Xavier University on Nov. 9. At the peak of performances on the court were Erin Jones and Rashanny Solano Smith, who each earned a Big East Player of the Week award for their efforts.
Jones picked up her second Big East Offensive Player of the Week nod in the 2024 season after recording 3.86 kills per set and two triple-doubles over the weekend. In the opening game of the weekend Jones had 15 kills, 22 assists and 11 digs to help the Red Storm climb back from a first set blunder and win 3-1. To date, she has a .268 attacking percentage on the season.
Solano Smith was poised as a defender against both weekend opponents and earned Big Easr Defensive Player of the Week because of it. The sophomore picked up 20 digs against DePaul,14 against Xavier and averaged 4.86 digs per set for St. John’s across the entire weekend. She also put down nine assists and three aces to help the team pick up two wins — bringing them up two rankings to the No. 5 spot in the Big East standings.
The team will round out the rest of their season against four Big East opponents, starting with Villanova on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m EST and concluding with Providence on Nov. 23.
Thomas Lamaille Placed on All Big East Second Team as Men’s Soccer Continues on Through Big East Tournament
The St. John’s Men’s Soccer team hosted the No. 6 Seton Hall Pirates in a 2-0 win in Big East Quarterfinal round on Nov. 9 to advance to the semifinals.
Following the match, senior defender Thomas Lamaille secured a spot on the All-Big East Second Team. He is the only player from St. John’s to be recognized by the conference in their regular season awards.
Lamaille logged his first career goal in the Red Storm’s must-win quarterfinal match against the Pirates to give them the extra needed 2-0 security lead late in the game. He picked up three assists in 17 games this season.
With 2,500 minutes of action for the Red Storm, the Villejuif, France native played a vital role for the Johnnies since his arrival ahead of the 2023 campaign. He has played a full game on 19 different occasions, helping St. John’s to seven shut-outs in total.
Lamille and the team will head to Maryland for the 2024 Big East Soccer Championship against their Co-Big East East Division Champions Providence College on Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. EST.
