Monmouth’s men’s basketball team went into Carnesecca Arena in Queens, New York, for their season opener and took a 78-61 loss to No. 14 St. John’s, a team fresh off back-to-back Big East regular season and tournament championship sweeps. But don’t let that final score fool you, because Monmouth coach King Rice was quick to point out that even in a loss, the Red Storm didn’t walk away with the easy victory they probably expected. “I know we didn’t get the win, but they didn’t get how they were supposed to do us either,” Rice declared after the final buzzer.
The Early Blows and a Second-Half Statement
St. John’s, ranked No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, came out swinging, with Auburn transfer Keyshawn Hall dropping their first seven points en route to a ridiculous 20 points in the first half alone. That kind of start, Rice admitted, was a “blitz” his squad knew was coming. St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, Rice said, “tries to blitz you at the beginning of the game. Then he blitz you at halftime. The blitz at the beginning puts us down so much, and then we settled in.” The Red Storm were up 45-29 at the break, but then Monmouth flipped the script. The Hawks actually outscored St. John’s 34-33 in the second half, even cutting the lead down to 12 points with nine minutes left on the clock. That second-half push was enough to make Pitino “yell at people,” according to Rice, even if it wasn’t enough to secure the comeback victory.
Sanders and Walker Emerge, Defense Shows Teeth
Even in a 17-point loss, Monmouth had some seriously bright spots, especially from their backcourt transfers, Jakai Sanders and Ashton Walker. Sanders led the team with a crisp 17 points, including four shots from deep, and was aggressive getting to the rim. Walker wasn’t far behind with 11 points, showing off his ability to drive, stop on a dime, and hit a turnaround jumper that St. John’s struggled to defend. These two were consistently getting paint touches and making good things happen for the Hawks.
And forget what the score says for a second, because Monmouth’s defense was putting in work. They forced the Big East powerhouse to commit 13 turnovers, racked up 6 steals, and swatted away 5 shots. The perimeter defense from the guards was particularly impressive. Rice noted that St. John’s size was a major factor, with their guys being “so much bigger than your kids,” making it tough even when trying to wear them down. Still, the defensive effort was undeniable. Torrey Brooks Jr., currently inactive, is expected to bring even more lateral quickness to that perimeter defense when he returns, which is a scary thought for future opponents.
Depth and What Comes Next
Monmouth’s bench also showed some real promise. King Rice has options, and Jinup Doboul came off the bench and delivered “really good minutes” in the opener. That kind of depth is going to be crucial as the season rolls on. While the Hawks didn’t get the win against a ranked opponent, they put a real scare into them and showed some serious fight. With Jakai Sanders and Ashton Walker stepping up, a tenacious defense forcing turnovers, and a deep bench ready to contribute, this team clearly has pieces to build on. They showed a No. 14 team that even if you blitz them, you’re gonna have to earn every single point.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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