When the game was headed in the wrong direction, when St. John’s looked like it may follow fellow Big East programs Seton Hall.
Butler and Villanova in losing a buy game, Brady Dunlap rose to the occasion.
With starting forward Aaron Scott pinned to the bench with the flu and the Johnnies’ looking shaky at both ends, Dunlap hit a few big 3-pointers that kept the game close entering halftime, and his teammates woke up after that.
Overshadowed by so many major additions to the roster, Dunlap remains an important piece to this team, and he showed it on Saturday afternoon.
Dunlap poured in a career-high 20 points and sank five 3-pointers as St. John’s overcame a sluggish start to knock off MAAC preseason favorite Quinnipiac, 96-73, at Carnesecca Arena.
The Johnnies (2-0) did not play well in the opening half.
They were out-rebounded, outscored in the paint and had zero second-chance points.
The second half was the opposite.
St. John’s was plus-10 on the glass, plus-16 in points in the paint and had 10 second-chance points after halftime.
It scored 38 of the game’s first 53 points after the break and poured in 27 points in transition over the final 20 minutes.
RJ Luis led the way with 24 points, 13 rebounds and three assists, and Deivon Scott added 13 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals.
Simeon Wilcher had 13 of his 14 points after the break and Kadary Richmond chipped in six rebounds and six assists in a quiet performance.
Trailing by four at halftime, St. John’s reeled off a 22-8 run to start the period.
After back-to-back baskets by Luis and Smith, the lead was in double figures for the first time and the rout was on.