St. John’s 71 – Miami 60
It had been a tight, tough game throughout, and with 9:13 left St. John’s held a 51-50 lead.
Last season, this was collapse time.
Instead of cracking, St. John’s was the team that exerted its will. Led by sensational point guard Marcus Hatten, who put his stamp on the win with a steal that he converted into a slam dunk, the Red Storm upset 17th-ranked Miami, 71-60, last night at Alumni Hall.
St. John’s (11-3 overall, 2-1 in the Big East) played and lost many games such as this last season. The Red Storm would hang tough for 30 minutes and then the air would go out.
But Hatten, the junior college transfer from Baltimore who scored a game-high 25 points, has given this team the playmaker/scorer it didn’t have last season. In a one-point game, he took over.
He fed Donald Emanuel for a baseline layup. Then he drew a fourth personal foul on Miami guard Michael Simmons and converted 1 of 2 free throws.
Hatten chased down a loose ball and was fouled by Darius Rice. He again converted 1 of 2 from the line and the Red Storm had either team’s biggest lead of the game at 55-50. Hatten almost pushed the lead to seven when he chased down his own rebound but missed a baseline jumper.
After James Jones converted two free throws, Hatten, who had scored 15 in the first half but was scoreless in the second until his free throws, drained a 3 from the top of the key. Elton Tyler responded with a free throw, and then came the play the epitomized the game.
Tyler missed the second free throw and there was a scramble for the rebound. Eric King got submarined by Jones and came crashing to the court, wiping out Emanuel.
Alumni Hall went silent as all three players lay sprawled. Finally all three got up without injury. Jones was assessed a foul. Anthony Glover replaced Emanuel and drained both free throws.