As the Big East Conference swelled in numbers, rivalries got watered down.
Not so with St. John’s and Rutgers.
And after hearing how badly the Red Storm wants to avenge a 58-56 loss to the Scarlet Knights two weeks ago in the Garden, Rutgers might want to clean off its bulletin board.
“I felt like we should have won the first game,’’ St. John’s forward JaKarr Sampson said. “I felt like we were the better team than them, and we just pretty much gave them the game. It’s always good to have a second chance.’’
The two-point loss in the World’s Most Famous Arena was more a case of St. John’s not taking the game, rather than giving it away. The Red Storm (11-7 overall, 3-3 in the Big East) missed 12 of 27 free throws. Instead of taking the ball strong to the basket, D’Angelo Harrison and Sampson missed 3-pointers in the final minute.
The Scarlet Knights (12-5, 3-3) will have the home court advantage tonight in the RAC, and they are fresh off a controversial 69-66 loss at Notre Dame in which Eli Carter was called for a late charge and the clock operator took 1.2 seconds off the clock on a deflected inbounds pass.
The four teams at the top of the league standings — Syracuse, Louisville, Marquette and Cincinnati — are NCAA Tournament worthy. The next seven, including St. John’s and Rutgers, are in what Red Storm coach Steve Lavin referred to as the kettle, giving this game added significance.
“It’s going to be a different game,’’ Harrison said.
Perhaps. But the Scarlet Knights have become a thorn for St. John’s. Quincy Douby of Brooklyn lit up the Red Storm for 36 points in Carnesecca Arena in the last regular season games of the 2006 season, leading the Scarlet Knights to a win that knocked St. John’s out of the Big East Tournament.
Last season the Scarlet Knights edged the Red Storm 61-58. The last four meetings, including the 58-56 game on Jan. 9, have been decided by a total of nine points.
“We should have easily won that game,’’ Harrison said. “Having a chance to play them again is great.’’