St. John's closed out its non-confernece schedule (yes, Duke still looms) with a loss to Miami before opening the Big East schedule on New Year's Eve. The loss gives the Red Storm  a losing streak with back-to-back losses and drops their record to 9-3 -- all losses coming to ACC teams.

Miami outrebounded SJU 46-30, including 16-8 on the offensive glass.

Julian Gamble scored 10 points for Miami -- he came into the game having scored nine points all season.

Quincy Roberts stepped into the starting lineup for the injured Malik Boothe had produced a career bests in points (14) and rebounds (9).

TyShawn Edmondson had a career-high eight points in a career-best 20 minutes.

Justin Burrell returned the lineup and had 10 points and two rebounds in 21 minutes.

Miami missed its first nine shots of the second half but SJU could only cut a 10-point lead to four.

Paris Horne scored in double-figures for the 10th straight game.

SJU made 8-of-15 free throws (Sean Evans was 1-for-6), Miami made 19-of-26 free throws.

St. John's missed 13 three-pointers. Horne missed six shots, five were threes. Edmondson missed four shots, three were threes. Kennedy missed four shots, three were threes. 

In seven minutes Phil Wait did nothing but foul twice.

St. John's had fewer turnovers than Miami, 16-14, and Horne had five of them.

Both teams made the same number of shots -- 22 -- except that Miami made three more three-pointers and 11 more free throws.

And the gratuitious Norm Roberts quote: "I am always disappointed when we lose. But I thought we tried hard. Take the three best players off anybody's team and see what happens. We lost quite a few players but our other guys just have to step up and play, that's just how it is. Nobody is going to feel sorry for you, it's a great opportunity for the young guys to step up and play. Take [Jack] McClinton and [Dwayne] Collins off their team and they are not the same team. Not the same team at all. That's what we have going on right now and we have to battle through it and be tough."