GAME NOTES: The St. John's Red Storm will try to string together three victories in a row today, as they host the Providence Friars in Big East play at Carnesecca Arena. After dropping six straight outings, the Red Storm have finally started to move in the right direction, winning two contests in a row for the first time since opening the season with four straight victories. Most recently, SJU nipped Rutgers, 52-45, on Wednesday to improve to 9-12 overall and 3-7 in conference action. SJU though, hasn't fared all that well at home in Big East action, going just 1-3 thus far. As for Providence, it finally got back into the win column on Tuesday, posting a 79-65 triumph over DePaul. The win brought the team's four-game losing skid to an end and improved the program to 13-9 overall and 4-6 in conference play. The Friars though, now hit the road, where they have won just once in six tries. Today's contest marks the 95th all-time meeting between Providence and SJU, with the Red Storm holding a 54-40 lead in the series.

The Friars sot a solid 56.0 percent from the field, including a 7-of-13 effort from long distance, as they beat DePaul earlier in the week. The team also did a good job at the foul line, where it converted on 16-of-19 attempts. Randall Hanke led the charge with 21 points and five boards, while Dwain Williams had 20 points courtesy of 4-of-5 three-pointers. Brian McKenzie chipped in with 11 points and Geoff McDermott recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jeff Xavier was limited to just three points in the win, but despite that subpar performance, he still leads Providence in scoring with 12.1 ppg for the season. Williams is hot on his trail with 11.9 ppg and McKenzie follows closely with 11.5 ppg. Weyinmi Efejuku chips in with 11.0 ppg, while McDermott turns in 10.5 ppg and team highs of 4.7 apg and 8.3 rpg. Overall, Providence has done a solid job in scoring 75.6 ppg and shooting 45.3 percent from the floor.

The Red Storm put forth a sensational effort on defense this past Wednesday, as they held Rutgers to a dismal 28.8 percent shooting performance from the floor in a 52-45 win. The tenacious defense was much needed when considering SJU hit on just 36.2 percent of its field goals. Justin Burrell and Eugene Lawrence each scored 15 points to lead the way, while Larry Wright posted 10 points and six boards. The Red Storm played the game without leading scorer Anthony Mason Jr., who was sidelined with an ankle injury. Mason is averaging 13.5 ppg on the season, but he is listed as questionable for today's bout. Burrell ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.4 ppg and he is also pulling down a solid 6.8 rpg. As a unit, SJU isn't the most explosive team around, averaging just 64.2 ppg on 41.6 percent shooting from the field.

Providence has a few more weapons than SJU and that should come in handy today. The Friars, behind their solid offensive play, should be able to come up with a rare road win in this one.