Backcourt combines for 35 points as Rogers eliminates St. John's in 66-55 win
3/7/2013Trailing 33-28 at halftime, the unranked Rogers Rams broke things open with a 15-6 third quarter tonight, then continued their momentum to take a 66-55 victory over fifth-ranked St. John's Jesuit in a Division I boys district basketball semifinal at Savage Arena.
Rogers (17-7) got 18 and 17 points, respectively, from the veteran senior guard duo of Clemmye Owens and Tony Kynard in moving on to Saturday's 7 p.m. district final here.
St. John's lost despite 29 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists from 6-foot-8, Ohio State-bound forward Marc Loving. The Titans (20-4), played without standout senior guard Austin Gardner (16-point average), who sprained his right ankle late in the team's practice on Wednesday.
The balanced Rams also got 12 points from DeVonte Pratt and 10 from Tribune Dailey.
Rogers forced seven of St. John's 19 total turnovers during the pivotal third quarter, and closed the game out despite missing 10 of its 19 fourth-quarter free-throw attempts.
Titans guard Chris Stearns, who started in place of Gardner, added 12 points for St. John's, which had won its previous 12 games.