Providence 72, at Saint John`s 85

NEW YORK (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant opening statement, the Saint John’s Red Storm overwhelmed the Providence Friars from the outset and never relented, securing an 85-72 victory in a Big East Conference men’s basketball tournament quarterfinal Thursday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. A raucous crowd of 19,812 watched the Red Storm, the tournament’s top seed, seize control with a blistering first-half performance. Saint John’s raced out to a 48-27 halftime lead, effectively deciding the contest in the opening 20 minutes. The Red Storm’s defensive intensity and transition offense were the catalysts, converting Providence’s early miscues… Read more...