A start of a new season in Queens has brought new players and new uniforms to St. John’s but the product on the court was very similar from a season ago.
The Johnnies were sluggish and cold offensively to start its exhibition slate against Towson before turning up the defensive pressure and getting timely buckets after halftime, turning an 8-point deficit into a 10-point win, 73-63.
“I couldn’t ask for a better opener,” Rick Pitino explained. “It was a great first game because we learned so much.”
A 13-0 run catapulted the Johnnies into a lead it would not relinquish midway through the second half, headlined by veteran Sadiku Ibine Ayo and transfers Dillon Mitchell and Oziyah Sellers.