St. John's Red Storm hold off DePaul to improve to 2-0 in Big East play
Jan 1, 2017; Rosemont, IL, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Marcus LoVett (15) dribbles the ball against DePaul Blue Demons guard Eli Cain (11) during the first half at the Allstate Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Mullin and St. John’s has already doubled last season’s Big East win total after beating DePaul.

The St. John’s men’s basketball squad is suddenly red hot now.

They won their third straight game after beating DePaul on the road, 79-73.

With the win, St. John’s has started out 2-0 in the Big East, already winning more than they did all of last season.

St. John’s struggled early, going 1 for their first 9 field goal attempts and fell behind early 17-5.

After a St. John’s timeout, the Red Storm went on a 9-0 run to get back in the game.

St. John’s still trailed entering halftime (40-33) but the second half was much better for them. They had a total of 18 assists in the second half, playing good team basketball. They took the lead as a result and hung on for the six-point win.

It was a well-rounded effort from a variety of Johnnies. Once again the big three newcomers came through. Shamorie Ponds, Marcus LoVett and Bashir Ahmed combined for 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Lovett led the way with 22 points and Ahmed hit four three-pointers.

St. John’s continued to excel from long range, shooting 39 percent from three-point land.

It’s been a nice stretch for St. John’s these days in their three-game winning streak. They crushed Syracuse by 33 points on the road, beat No. 13 Butler last Thursday to start Big East play and won another conference game on the road this time.

Considering what it was last season, the way St. John’s has started off Big East play this year is definitely a positive sign and one the Johnnies look to build momentum off.

Next up will be another conference opponent in Creighton at home this Wednesday night.

Other than God, sports are my biggest love. My teams are the Mets, Knicks, NY Giants, NY Rangers and St Johns basketball (St. John's alumni). I especially love the Mets like crazy, more than any other team and seeing them win the World Series would be a dream come true and definitely the best sports moment. The Knicks are a close second. I also like to write, so combine that with my passion for sports equals a perfect scenario, I would love to do sports writing long term. If not that, then probably sports broadcasting, cause I love to talk sports as well. In addition to writing for ESNY, I'm also currently writing for Metsmerizedonline.