BY MARCUS HENRY
The St. John's women are still a good distance from making any national statements. The Red Storm's 81-58 loss to Baylor on Saturday should give you all the proof you need. To be fair, the game wasn't as lopsided as the score indicated. The Red Storm (8-4) put up a good fight, but the Bears (9-1) were always able to keep them at arm's length. St. John's never trailed by more than 15 in the first half and were within 10 to 13 points for three quarters of the second half. Baylor put the game away with a 7-0 spurt for a 68-50 lead with 5:12 left.
There were several positives coach Kim Barnes Arico could take from the game. One is the similiarities between Baylor and Big East heavyweights Rutgers and UConn. Baylor has a quality post player in former St. John the Baptist All-American Danielle Wilson. UConn has one in former Christ the King star Tina Charles. Rutgers also totes a great post presence in former St. Michael standout Kia Vaughn. Hopefully the Red Storm's experience against Baylor taught them a valuable lesson.
Another positive was the play of sophomore forward Recee Mitchell. Mitchell played just 18 minutes, but had three points and five rebounds. Mitchell brings to mind former Red Storm forward Danielle Chambers. With junior forward Angel Tate's departure from the team a few weeks ago, Mitchell is be counted on to provide quality minutes in the paint.
Saturday's loss was also a learning experience for freshman guard Sky Lindsay. Barnes Arico was critical of Linday's shot selection and also wants her prized freshman recruit to know that the physical nature of the Baylor game will be the same in the Big East. Hopefully Linday will adjust.