Dynamic duo of Ponds, Heron on display in rout
The season was 20-something minutes young, and Chris Mullin was in midseason form. Even as St. John’s stretched its lead wide enough for victory to be declared, the Hall of Famer continued screaming about each call he couldn’t believe, tossing profanities at the offending official.
Sometimes, there was silence. Sometimes, Mullin would watch a play — like Mustapha Heron’s pass off the glass to LJ Figueroa — and be left smiling uncontrollably, seeing talent overflow from his roster for the first time.
“My college coach told me when I took the job [to] get good players,” said Mullin, referring to Lou Carnesecca. “The better players you get, the better coach you are.”
St. John’s opened a season of heightened expectations with sufficient evidence to support the excitement surrounding Mullin’s fourth year as coach, as the Red Storm dominated LoyolaMaryland, 76-55, Tuesday night at Carnesecca Arena, to claim their 15th straight home-opener. Shamorie Ponds, the first Johnnie to be named the Big East’s Preseason Player of the Year since Malik Sealy (1991), looked just as Queens remembered him, scoring 20 points (9-of-15 shooting) while adding four assists and three steals. Mustapha Heron, the heralded Auburn transfer who missed the team’s exhibition game with a concussion, showcased similar, seemingly effortless skill, producing 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals. The pair combined for 29 first-half points before sitting large stretches in the second half.
No longer does Ponds, a Brooklyn native, need to carry the Red Storm.
“It’s a huge difference,” Mullin said of the addition of Heron. “Shamorie and Mustapha both have good feels for the game. … They’re two very skilled, very smart players. … They’ve had two great college seasons. Everyone knows that. Now it’s about winning and doing it with other players around you.”
The evening went as it was supposed to, with St. John’s (1-0) making quick work of a team picked to finish last in the Patriot League. After the Red Storm slept through last week’s exhibition against Division II Maryville, the team was ready when the season counted, scoring the game’s first nine points and never trailing.
Defense was accompanied by intensity. Points came easy. Cheers came even easier.
Loyola-Maryland was overwhelmed and overmatched, making just five first-half field goals and going to halftime down 48-23 after Ponds’ high-arcing, buzzer-beating 3-pointer off glass.
“I thought we were really good in the first half, great defense, great activity,” Mullin said. “I think that’s gonna keep getting better as they play together. … We have a long way to go, but it was a good step forward.”
St. John’s stretched the lead to 33 in the second half, with Quinnipiac transfer Mikey Dixon (13 points) and Figueroa (nine points, eight rebounds) showcasing the team’s newfound depth.
Some possessions saw the ball dance around the perimeter, like a Harlem Globetrotters routine. Violent dunks repeatedly brought the crowd to its feet. Another highlight felt a play away. The show had just begun. “We’re definitely trying to have fun,” Ponds said. “We’re just trying to play as a team and make it fun.”