St. John’s has been riding high on the Rick Pitino wave since last spring and was really feeling good about itself after coming from behind to beat Rutgers in a high-octane exhibition on Oct 21 at Carnesecca Arena.
But on Sunday, Pitino and the Red Storm were dealt an unexpected loss by Division 2 Pace University, 63-59, back at Carnesecca. Pace, located in Westchester County, N.Y., went 20-11 a year ago and played in the D-2 NCAA Tournament.
“It would have been a crime if we came back and won that game because [Pace] deserved the victory from the opening tip to the last second,” Pitino, whose team trailed 39-34 at the break, told reporters.
“Nobody likes to lose, but exhibition games are exhibition games. I really was excited for Pace and the way they played every phase of the game to beat us. It wasn’t our injuries that lost the game, it was Pace’s great play. I’m really happy they won and I’m glad we did not come back against them because they deserved this victory and we did not. A much smaller team dominated us on the backboard and that can’t be. If I asked for anything for a Christmas present, it was this loss. … We learned a lot about what we need to work on tonight and that’s what exhibition games are for.”
St. John’s played without several key players due to injuries -- first-team All-Big East selection Joel Soriano, Penn transfer Jordan Dingle, UMass transfer RJ Luis and Iona transfer Cruz Davis -- but Pitino wasn’t trying to blame the loss on those absences.
After out-boarding Rutgers 57-50, St. John’s was dominated on the boards by Pace, 54-43.
Graduate student Bryan Powell led Pace with 22 points, shooting 9-for-17 from the floor and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Setters’ redshirt junior forward Jamaal Waters also recorded a double-double, finishing with 14 points and 10 boards. Chaz Harvey chipped in 11 points coming off the bench.
UConn transfer Nahiem Alleyne led the Red Storm with 22 points
“I was hoping we would be better from the Rutgers game and we weren’t,” Pitino, 71, said. “Now a lot goes into play with that. When you play against these teams, they play like it’s the national championship. When I came off the court, they were screaming like they just won the national championship and it was so much fun for me to see that for them because they earned it.
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“They deserved it, they were well-drilled, well-coached, so that was fun to witness from my end. I really enjoyed that aspect of the game, watching them celebrate like that because they executed so well. It was tough to watch that rebounding [effort]. We rebounded like a high school team. Now we’re small, obviously without Joel, it’s a big factor. Our guards know they have to rebound and they didn’t tonight.”
It’s only an exhibition and doesn’t mean anything for St. John’s in the scope of things. For Pace, it means a ton.
“The game doesn’t count, but it means a lot for us as a Division II school,” Pace coach Matthew Healing told NJ Advance Media. “There’s a lot of tremendous basketball being played at this level and specifically in the NE10 Conference. It’s a testament to our players. Happy for them and our University.
“St. John’s has a good team. They’re big, athletic and well coached. It takes time to gel with so many new pieces. I’m sure they will use this as an opportunity to refocus.”
St. John’s was picked fifth in the 11-team Big East and Pitino has vowed to restore winning to a program that hasn’t won an NCAA Tournament main-draw game since 2000.
The Red Storm open the regular season Nov. 7 against Stony Brook and then face Michigan in the final edition of the Gavitt Games on Nov. 13 at Madison Square Garden.
“We have learned now that Stony Brook can come in here and beat us,” Pitino said. “We learned that today. We now know how much better we have to get.”
PITINO TO RING OPENING BELL AT STOCK EXCHANGE
Pitino will ring the Opening Bell at The New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s opening bell ceremony will be covered live on CNBC at 9:30 a.m.
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.