St. John's scores 104 to crush Iona in 39-point rout
The Red Storm held a 18-point lead and limited Iona to just 19 turnovers in a decisive Big East matchup.
By Tomas Gonzalez ·
St. John's University defeated Iona 104-65 on Sunday at Carnesecca Arena.
Head coach Rick Pitino cited the team's defensive pressure and fast-break efficiency as the primary drivers of the victory. The Red Storm limited themselves to four turnovers while forcing 19 from the Gaels. St. John's capitalized on those mistakes with 26 points. Pitino noted that the team practiced its press hard to create these specific scoring opportunities.
The Red Storm established control early in the game. Ian Jackson, a returner from the previous season, made his first three shots from beyond the arc. St. John's built a 9-3 lead that expanded to 18-3 during a 15-0 run. The team never trailed in the contest. Jackson finished with 17 points on 7-12 shooting.
Tounde Yessoufou, a transfer from Baylor, provided the highest offensive output. He scored 23 points on 9-14 shooting. He also made four of his seven three-point attempts. Yessoufou recorded seven rebounds in 21 minutes of play. His performance extended his previous freshman records for points and made field goals from his time at Iona.
Keyshawn Hall contributed 13 points. The transfer from Auburn had scored 26 points in the previous week's 78-63 win over Monmouth. Quinn Ellis recorded 11 assists while taking only five shots. The Red Storm shot 55.2% from the field and made 14 three-pointers. They outscored Iona 48-0 in the paint and outrebounded them 38-28.
Pitino expressed satisfaction with the team's execution. He described the offense as brilliant and noted that four turnovers in a 100-point game is a special occurrence. The team will play their next home game against Colgate on Wednesday.
