Virginia Tech65
St. John’s59
BLACKSBURG, Va. – There are good losses, bad losses and losses that can ruin a team’s post-season plans.
That’s the kind of loss St. John’s suffered yesterday, a 65-59 upset at Virginia Tech that could likely keep the Red Storm from the NCAA Tournament. Of the 14 teams in the Big East, Tech is the only one not rated in the RPI Top 100.
“When it comes to teams who are in the tournament, they (NCAA Tournament Selection Committee) will look at St. John’s and say, ‘They were going pretty good but they lost at Virginia Tech,’ ” said junior forward Anthony Glover. “That might really hurt us.”
It will certainly hurt the Red Storm (11-7 overall, 5-2 in the Big East), who saw their four-game winning streak snapped by writing a book on how to lose on the road. The Red Storm made just 9 of 17 free throws, they were outrebounded for the 11th time this season, they committed more turnovers (17) than assists (12) and they dug an 11-point hole that proved too deep from which to dig out.
Jarvis kept the team locker room closed for almost 30 minutes after the game. When he emerged, freshmen Omar Cook and Willie Shaw, who were a combined 2-of-19 on 3’s, had towels draped over their heads.
Jarvis, who has been more animated this season than at any point in his first two seasons at St. John’s, walked onto the court with four seconds left in the game. When Tech’s Joe Hamilton tossed the ball into the air in celebration, Jarvis caught it and tried to find one of the game officials who he felt missed a goaltending call with 9.9 seconds left that would have cut the Red Storm’s deficit to 63-61.
Glover said that Jarvis was the angriest he has been after a loss this season. He said Jarvis did not yell or scream but made some emphatic points.
“He’s the kind of person who doesn’t hold anything back,” said Glover. “Sometimes you might not want to hear what he’s telling you at the time, but he’s going to get his point across.”
Jarvis, fearing a letdown to a team the Red Storm beat 89-64 earlier this season in Alumni Hall, brought the team here Thursday afternoon.
“He said before we came out [for the tipoff] that we weren’t ready to play,” said Kyle Cuffe.
Tech coach Ricky Stokes certainly got his point across to the Hokies (8-10, 2-5), who were given two days off after a hideous 75-60 home loss to Providence last Saturday. The Hokies’ first practice after their two-day hiatus was the equivalent of hell week in preseason football.
“I give the players all the credit in the world,” said Stokes. “They came out with passion and effort, which is what we didn’t do a week ago.”
The Hokies used a 12-4 at the start of the second half to open a 48-37 lead. St. John’s, which went six minutes and 10 seconds without a point, still trailed by 11 (56-45 with 4:26 left. A desperate St. John’s team went on a 14-4 run to make it a 60-59 game with 34 seconds left. Cook scored the final four points, including a steal he converted for a layup.
After Tech’s Carlton Carter hit 1 of 2 foul shots, Cook missed a chance to tie the game when his tough drive to the basket wouldn’t drop. Carter then knocked down two foul shots with 19.7 left to give Tech a 63-59 lead.
On the next possession, Cook drove and dished to Alpha Bangura on the baseline. His layup wouldn’t drop and an irate Jarvis screamed for a goaltending violation, believing Tech’s Dan Gathings had put his hand through the bottom of the basket. His words went unheeded, just as his warnings to the Red Storm not to take Tech lightly went unheard.
“I told some people before this game that I thought today would be the most difficult game we would have for the rest of the year,” said Jarvis. “It was the one game maybe, consciously or subconsciously, we would possible feel is an automatic ‘W’, which is obviously non-existent in sport.”
An automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament is non-existent, unless the Red Storm win the Big East Conference Tournament in March.
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Redshirt freshman forward Jack Wolfinger did not accompany the team to Tech for violating a very minor team rule, Jarvis told The Post. Jarvis said Wolfinger remains a member of the team and is expected to be at practice tomorrow.
Shaw, who came into the game shooting 42 percent on 3’s, was 1-for-11 and said after the game that he is thinking too much about his shot.