Piaad 3 Basketball

Coming from a victory against the University of Connecticut on the first day of the Big East Tournament Bracket, the University of St. John left everyone speechless in its game against Marquette on Wednesday. St. John was defeated 57-55 in a game that it was winning until the very last minutes.

St. John proved – in most of the second day – that it was a very strong team, setting a game rhythm that evidenced the players’ skill. But the team had a rough start. The first half was a little messy, giving Marquette enough space to take advantage of St. John’s mistakes.

The first half ended with Marquette ahead 27-17, demonstrating the Storm’s lack of concentration. But as the second half started, things slipped into place for St. John players, who began to set the rhythm they needed and whose offense began to work together as a team.

Marquette has been having one of its best seasons ever. The team has an overall record of 20-10 and a Big East record of 11 wins and 7 losses. Coming in as the fifth seed, Marquette has the skills and talents needed in the second round of the Big East Tournament bracket.

Marquette games have a tendency to be full of incredible tension, as the team has won 12 of its last 19 conference games by 3 points or less; 6 of the last 7 have been in the second round of the Big East Tournament.

The last time Marquette faced St. John, in New York, the team won in overtime 63-61 with a Jimmy Buttler shot in the last minute. It was the Golden Eagles’ 11th straight win over St. John.

Golden Eagles head coach Buzz Williams said he was very pleased with the result of the most recent game, and particularly, the way his players were working together. Next they will have to focus on a game against Villanova, on Thursday. The fourth-seeded Villanova has defeated Marquette in their last two matches, but the Golden Eagles still have hopes of winning the game and making a second straight semifinal appearance.

It has not been easy for St. John’s head coach, Norm Roberts, to face being ousted in the quarterfinals again for the sixth straight year. Rumors circulate that the defeat against Marquette may yet cost him his job. As he walked to the press conference, his face said everything.

“We didn’t shoot the ball very well in the first half, but we came back,” Roberts said. “We just talked about make the extra pass, make one more pass— they do a great job of rotating in the first half and making the ball stick in our hands a little bit. I thought the guys did a good job of making the extra pass in the second half.”

Roberts has been deeply criticized for not signing some of basketball’s best prospects. He simply hasn’t won enough games.

For now he is waiting for the worse, as many say that it’s about time for St. John to look for a fresh new start and hire a new head coach.