St. John's and Cincinnati will meet for the second time this season on Wednesday night, this time at Madison Square Garden. The first match-up was in Cincinnati where the Red Storm won in the final seconds 57-55 just over a month ago.
St. John's (10-13, 4-7) hasn't played very well as of late though, being blown out 95-70 against Syracuse on Saturday and losing six of its last eight. The inconsistency of this team has been maddening for both the coaches and fans alike. However, with a team that starts five freshmen it has to be expected.
The Bearcats (16-7, 6-4) come to The Garden with revenge on their mind. Cincinnati snapped a three game losing streak over the weekend by dispatching DePaul 74-66 at home. Currently in sixth in the Big East standings, the Bearcats need this game to keep their arrow pointing upward as we head down the stretch towards tournament time.
When these teams met on Jan. 7, the stars for both sides showed up. Moe Harkless had a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Red Storm while Sean Kilpatrick scored 21 points in a losing effort for Cincinnati.
The big difference that night was the shooting percentages. St. John's shot 42.9 percent from the field compared to the Bearcats 26.3. It will be key for the Red Storm to give a similar defensive effort on Wednesday night.
TV: ESPNU
Time: 7 p.m. ET
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