In their last non-conference game before Big East Conference play begins Wednesday against Seton Hall, No. 17 St. John’s blew out Tulane, 82-57, at Barclays Center.
The Johnnies had their transition game humming in overdrive and were led by Sir’Dominic Pointer’s 24 points, 7 steals and 4 rebounds and D’Angelo Harrison’s 21 points. They are now 11-1 for the first time since the 1985-86 season.
“We came out and it didn’t feel right, so I’m like, ‘It’s time to take over the game’ and that’s what I did,” Pointer told FoxSports1’s Donny Marshall. “They helped me do it, they said, ‘Dom, we need you this game.'”
Harrison and Pointer shot 12-of-13 from the foul line.
The Johnnies are a veteran team that starts four seniors and junior big man Chris Obekpa. All five are capable of stepping up.
“Like coach [Steve] Lavin said, we’ve been through a lot, we know each other,” Pointer said. “We give each other confidence on any night. One night it might be me, one night it might be Phil [Greene], D’Angelo, Chris Obekpa, we all know how to score the ball.”
The Johnnies open Big East play Wednesday at Seton Hall before hosting Butler Jan. 3 at Carnesecca and Villanova Jan. 6 at Madison Square Garden.
The Pirates (10-2) will be without McDonald’s All-American guard Isaiah Whitehead, out with a stress fracture.
“It’s the first Big East game and our last one,” Pointer said. “So it’s our seniors last first Big East Game, so you know we’re going to come out ready.”
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