In its first time on the court together this season, the new look St. John’s basketball team impressed during its first exhibition game of the preseason, beating Drexel 81-52 on Wednesday night inside Carnesecca Arena.
After an expected choppy beginning, the Red Storm settled in and rattled off a 24-3 run over an 11-minute stretch which the Dragons were held without a made field goal. St. John’s ballooned its lead to as many as 21 points, 35-14, during the run before taking a 12-point lead into halftime.
The lead grew to as many as 30 points in the closing minutes of the second half as the Johnnies pulled away.
"I really love our upside," Rick Pitino said following the game. "We're just so far behind on the fundamentals, but the upside is you'd rather have outstanding talent that needs to learn how to play than little talent that's fundamentally sound."
Drexel shot just 25.8-percent (16-of-62) from the floor and committed 25 turnovers in the dominant St. John’s win.
International prospect Babacar Sane, who is only able to play until his final eligibility hearing on November 9, shined with 17 points and eight rebounds He netted seven points during the first half spurt for the Johnnies, shooting 5-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
British point guard Quinn Ellis, who was cleared by the NCAA on Tuesday, showcased his playmaking and versatility with three points, six rebounds, and six assists. He recorded three rebounds, three assists, a steal, and block in the opening charge.
Like the end of the first half, Drexel was able to get within 12 points early in the second half, but Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey were ready to contribute after quiet first halves. Jackson scored 10 points, all in the second half, after going 0-for-6 prior to halftime.
Auburn transfer Keyshawn Hall, who learned that his temporary restraining order would remain in place until a New York judge ruled on his eligibility case, displayed his knack for scoring with nine points as did Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou.
Despite the impressive performance, St. John’s still has many areas to improve upon like its 19 turnovers and 7-for-29 (24.1-percent) shooting from 3-point range.
"We're about three weeks to a month behind because we had such a bad summer," Pitino added.
The Red Storm will return to action for its second exhibition of the season on Sunday, October 18 (12:00 p.m. ET, BTN+) against Rutgers inside Madison Square Garden.
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