March 20, 2012
A dramatic, last-second layup by junior guard Nadirah McKenith catapulted third-seeded St. John’s into the second round of the NCAA women’s tournament with a 69-67 win over Creighton on March 18.
With the victory, the Red Storm is scheduled to make its third-straight NCAA tournament second-round appearance. They will play sixth-seeded Oklahoma at 9:30 p.m. on March 20.
St. John’s shook the world of women’s basketball in February when the team defeated the University of Connecticut by 57-56, ending the Huskies’ 99-game home winning streak. After the win, President Barack Obama picked St. John’s as one of his favorites to reach the Final Four.
McKenith clinched the game after grabbing an inbounds pass from St. John’s forward Da’Shena Stevens. She raced up the left sideline and launched the winning shot. “It was an exciting finish,” said Head Coach Kim Barnes Arico. “Nadirah made a tremendous play down at the end to get us the win.”
ESPN named McKenith the Capital One Player of the Game. With a 4-0 record, Coach Barnes Arico is undefeated in first-round NCAA tournament appearances.
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