Preview: Harvard at Saint John’s

NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Saint John’s Red Storm look to rebound from a ranked road loss when they host the Harvard Crimson in a nonconference men’s basketball matchup Tuesday at Carnesecca Arena.

Saint John’s (7-4) enters the contest following a 78-66 defeat at then-Kentucky on Saturday. The Red Storm have been strong at home this season, boasting a 6-1 record in Queens, including a 96-81 victory over then-Baylor last month.

Harvard (6-6) arrives with momentum after an 81-53 rout of Holy Cross, also on Saturday. The Crimson have alternated wins and losses over their past six games and seek their first winning streak since early November.

A key matchup will feature Harvard’s Tey Barbour against Saint John’s Ian Jackson. Barbour, a versatile guard, is coming off one of his best performances of the season with 18 points and eight rebounds against Holy Cross. He averages 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds over his last five contests.

Jackson, a dynamic guard for the Red Storm, is averaging 10.2 points over his last five games. He scored 14 points in a win over Iona on Dec. 13 and added 10 points and six rebounds in the loss at Kentucky.

Saint John’s has showcased a potent offense, scoring 90 or more points four times this season. Harvard’s defense, which held Holy Cross to 53 points, will be tested. The Crimson have struggled on the road, with a 1-5 record away from Cambridge.

This game concludes the nonconference slate for Saint John’s before it opens Big East play at Georgetown on Dec. 31. Harvard wraps up its pre-Ivy League schedule at Colgate on Dec. 28.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST Tuesday.