No. 25 St. John's women set mark for best start

Updated Dec. 21, 2022 4:23 p.m. ET

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Jayla Everett scored a season-high 24 points to lead No. 25 St. John's to an 80-51 win over Wagner on Wednesday, giving the Red Storm their best start in program history.

St. John's (12-0), ranked for the first time in almost seven years, surpassed the 11-0 start of the 2004-05 team for the best in the history of the program's 48 years.

Kadaja Bailey added 14 points for the Red Storm, who had 11 of 12 players reach the scoring column.

Lina Loceniece scored 13 points for Wagner (5-6) and Zhaneia Thybulle had 10.

The Red Storm hit 9 of 13 shots, including three 3-pointers, in the first quarter to break out to a 23-12 lead. It wasn't until St. John's scored the last four points of the second quarter, when the Red Storm went 2 of 12 from the field but 10 of 11 from the foul line, that the lead reach double figures for good at 37-27.

Everett's three-point play to start the third quarter and 3-pointer following a Wagner free throw provided breathing room and St. John's pulled away by shooting 57% in the second half.

Wagner finished at 35%, and was outscored by 10 at the foul line and outrebounded by 18.

St. John's resumes Big East play at Georgetown on New Year's Eve.

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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25