Queens, NY -- On a night when St. John's dedicated its court - and entire arena - to Hall of Fame basketball coach Lou Carnesseca, St. Francis (NY) spoiled the party with a 53-52 win in front of 5,149 fans at what was formerly known as Alumni Hall.
St. Francis (1-1) stole the spotlight as senior guard Tory Cavalieri hit a jumper with 26 seconds left - two of his career-high 26 points - to give the Terriers a 53-52 lead. Following a timeout, the Red Storm would have one more chance, but a jumper from Lamont Hamilton rolled in and out, and a three-pointer from Eugene Lawrence was off the mark, giving St. Francis its first win over St. John's since January 21, 1956, ending a 26-game losing streak.
St. John's (1-1) trailed by five points, 50-45, with only 2:17 to play, but a three-pointer from junior Rodney Epperson and back-to-back baskets from freshman Cedric Jackson gave the Red Storm a 52-51 lead with 1:01 to play.
St. Francis (1-1) would call a timeout with just under a minute left leading to Cavalieri's winning bucket.
St. John's led, 21-19, after a first half in which both teams struggled from the field. The Red Storm connected on 27.6 percent of their shots (8-of-29), while the Terriers hit only 23.1 percent (6-of-26).
Cavalieri, who accounted for nearly half of the Terriers' points on the night, added six rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 40-minute effort. Freshman swingman Allan Sheppard chiped in with 12 points and five boards, while junior forward Devon Neckles grabbed ten boards and rejected four shots.
Hamilton scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Red Storm, while sophomore Daryll Hill and freshman Dexter Gray scored 10 points apiece.