A team from New York and a coach from New York took to the Garden court last night and a rock fight broke out.
There were three technical fouls, two intentional fouls, one gashed player.
It was exactly the kind of game St. John’s needed to snap a brutal two-game skid, give new coach Steve Lavin his first win in the World’s Most Famous Arena and send the Red Storm into tonight’s championship game of the MSG Holiday Festival against Northwestern.
St. John’s edged Davidson — coached by Queens native Bob McKillop — 62-57 in a physical and, at times, chippy game. Lavin got a tech early, Dele Coker and Davidson’s Jake Cohen were hit with offsetting technicals in the second half, and Cohen was left with a gash over his left eye, courtesy of intentional foul by Justin Brownlee, who drew an intentional foul in the first half.
“I just talked to the team about the fact that over the course of a season there’s going to be nights where you play a game that isn’t a thing of beauty for the spectators,” said Lavin, “But you’ve got to find a way grind out or manufacture a win.”
After all the stones were thrown, it came down to St. John’s guard Dwight Hardy of The Bronx making one of two free throws with 16.8 seconds left to give the Red Storm a 60-57 lead. Neither team had scored since 5:04 remained in the game.
“That’s the way games are played in the Garden,” said McKillop. “That’s the way games are played in the neighborhood.”
Brendan McKillop, the coach’s son, missed a 3 from the top of the key with 4.4 seconds left that might have forced overtime. Brendan McKillop had 17 for Davidson (5-5). D.J. Kennedy led St. John’s with 17.
St. John’s (6-3) will be going for its 15th tournament title and its first since 2005.
The Red Storm had lost at home to St. Bonaventure and blew a 21-point lead at Fordham. Instead of a date with St. Francis of Brooklyn in the consolation game, the Red Storm will look to hand Northwestern its first loss of the season.
“Any time you lose two in a row you’re trying to find a way, any way possible to get that ‘W,’ Kennedy said. “Get that monkey off your back.”
In the opener, the Terriers (6-4) were dismantled by Northwestern, 92-61. Northwestern is 8-0 for the first time since 1993-94 and was one of just nine unbeaten teams left in the nation going into last night.
The nightcap was not a pretty game and the frustration got to Lavin early. He got hit with a technical foul for cupping his hands around his mouth and uttering a few choice comments that ref Tony Greene did not find appropriate.