Coach Kim Barnes Arico described the win over national power Notre Dame as “a great win for our program.” There is no doubt this win could quite arguably be one of the biggest in St John’s women’s basketball history.
The Red Storm (21-5, 9-4) took total command of the game and only trailed following the opening tip at 2-0. Despite several fierce runs by the Fighting Irish, St. John’s was able to answer those runs and hold on to a 76-71 victory.
“This team keeps surprising me every game” said Barnes Arico. “I think the team’s confidence is overwhelming.”
The Red Storm crashed the boards, chased down loose balls and played smothering defense. “They are undersized, but they play with such exuberance, passion and energy” said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw. “They are a very good team. This is definitely the best team they’ve had since we’ve been here” she added.
Coach McGraw also had high marks for Red Storm freshman point guard Nadirah McKenith. “She played an outstanding game” said McGraw. McKenith ran the point almost flawlessly, dishing out the ball to her teammates with such precision. “It makes me feel good to hear that from another coach. I just take the compliment, work harder and get better” said McKenith. Nadirah finished the game with seven point and seven assists in 38 minutes of play.
St. John’s was led by freshman guard Shenneika Smith. Smith led all scorers with 23 points while adding 10 rebounds. Sophomore Da’Shena Stevens also recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 boards.
“Coach told us we needed to crash the boards – so we did” said Stevens. “Since we are an undersized team we need to be aggressive” she added.
The Fighting Irish found themselves in early foul trouble. “We attacked them early and it paid off by getting (Becca) Bruszewski and (Skyler) Diggens on the bench” said Barnes Arico.
Notre Dame (23-2, 10-2) was led by guard Skylar Diggins. Diggins who was held to only 2 points in the first half, had a strong second half finishing with 20 points for the game. Brittany Mallory added 17 points for the Irish. Notre Dame was held to 36.2% shooting from the field.
The Red Storm look to continue their winning ways as the season winds down. The competitiveness of the Big East conference makes every game a challenge. “We take one game at a time. Every game is important regardless of our opponent” said Shenneika Smith.
During a very difficult stretch of the schedule, St. John’s is definitely holding their own. “This was a GREAT win” said senior forward Joy McCorvey. She added, “It shows we can play with anyone.”
It seems as though they can.
