Uncasville, Conn. – The eighth-seeded St. John’s women’s basketball team (16-14, 5-13 BIG EAST) overcame a nine-point first-half deficit with a commanding second-half performance, defeating ninth-seeded Butler (15-17, 5-13 BIG EAST) 66-50 in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Trailing by as many as nine in the first half, the Red Storm flipped the script in the final 20 minutes, outscoring Butler 38-17 and playing mistake-free basketball without a single turnover. The team shot a season-best 58.3 percent (28-48) from the field, with six players contributing at least eight points.
With the win, St. John’s advances to the quarterfinals for the 15th straight year and will take on top-seeded No. 3/3 UConn tomorrow at 12 p.m. on FS1.
Balanced Effort Fuels Red Storm Victory
Ber’Nyah Mayo led all scorers with 16 points, shooting 7-of-13 (53.8%) from the field. Skye Owen provided a key spark, tallying 13 points on 6-of-10 (60%) shooting while also notching a season-high five steals. Lashae Dwyer contributed across the board with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block.
Kylie Lavelle (9 points), Jailah Donald (8 points), and Ariana Vanderhoop (8 points) delivered timely baskets as St. John’s erased a 33-28 halftime deficit in its first-ever BIG EAST Tournament matchup against Butler.
Defensively, the Red Storm made a statement, recording 10 steals and converting them into 24 points off turnovers. The team locked in after halftime, holding Butler to just 28.6 percent shooting (6-21) in the second half.
Sydney Jaynes led the Bulldogs with 14 points, while Lily Zeinstra added 11.
Game Recap
Lavelle opened the tournament scoring with a three-pointer off a feed from Owen. Butler responded with a 6-0 run, but Dwyer answered with a triple to tie the game at 6-6. Owen later swiped a steal and finished at the rim, but Butler ended the first quarter with a buzzer-beater to take a 16-10 lead.
In the second quarter, St. John’s struck first with a Gedeon layup off a Mayo assist. Butler extended its advantage to nine at 21-12 before St. John’s countered with a 7-0 run, capped by a Donald three-pointer to tie the game at 28.
The momentum shifted early in the third quarter when Owen picked off a pass and raced for a layup. Moments later, Dwyer forced another turnover and converted to cut the deficit to one just 33 seconds into the half, forcing a Butler timeout. The teams traded baskets in a tightly contested quarter with three ties in the middle of the frame.
Donald drilled a critical three-pointer to give St. John’s its first lead since the opening minute. Mayo capped off the strong third quarter as the Red Storm outscored Butler 21-11 and took a five-point lead into the fourth. The team shot an impressive 71.4 percent (10-14) from the field in the third quarter.
In the final period, St. John’s pulled away. Donald’s steal led to a Vanderhoop layup, and Dwyer followed with a reverse finish. Owen then knocked down a three-pointer to cap an 11-0 run, stretching the lead to 12, 56-44, with under seven minutes to play.
The Red Storm held Butler scoreless for the final 4:43 and limited them to just six points in the fourth quarter, securing their largest BIG EAST Tournament win in five years.
Next, St. John’s will face top-seeded No. 3/3 UConn on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena.
