St. John’s Puts Big Move on Pitt, 73-52

Bootsy Thornton scored a career-high 23 points, 15 in a 21-6 run over the end of the first half and the start of the second, and No. 18 St. John’s beat No. 20 Pittsburgh 73-52 Wednesday night.

The Red Storm (7-2, 2-0 Big East) won their fourth straight game since losing consecutive games to Stanford and Purdue.

Pittsburgh (7-3, 0-1) has lost three of its last four but all the losses have come to ranked teams.

Thornton, a junior college transfer who had 18 points in the loss to Purdue in the third-place game of the Preseason NIT, took over near the end of the first half. With the game tied 30-30 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the first half, the 6-foot-4 guard who came in averaging 9.8 points per game scored six of the final eight points of the half.

St. John’s took control at the start of the second half with Thornton scoring the last seven points of a 13-6 run that made it 51-36 with 15:16 to play.

Thornton, who was 10 for 19 from the field, scored almost every way imaginable, converting offensive rebounds, making short jumpers and drives and two three-pointers in the burst.

The Panthers, who have lost five straight to St. John’s, made a brief run to get within 56-47 with 11:04 to play, but a rebound basket by Donald Emanuel of St. John’s started a 7-0 run that included two free throws by Lavor Postell after a technical foul was called against Panthers coach Ralph Willard and Erick Barkley hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession and the lead was 63-47 with 9:37 to play.

Ron Artest added 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting for St. John’s, while Tyrone Grant had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Attila Cosby had 12 points for the Panthers.