By Kim J. Harmon

Midway through the third period, Pat Armstrong drained a jumper from the top of the key that put Rhode Island ahead of St. John’s, 43-33, and seemingly put the Rams on the way to yet another victory Monday night in the Rising Star Summer Basketball League at Treadwell Park.

But that’s when the rally started.

The Red Storm, almost left for dead at 10 points down in the third quarter, went on a remarkable 30-10 run that completely turned the tables on one of Rising Stars top teams and, from there, it was an easy ride to a 67-57 victory.

The rally started on a 14-0 run that closed out the third quarter. Andrew Fiscella initiated it with a foul shot and then John Kostecki (six points) and Anthony Santella (seven points) truly made it happen with their work in and around the lane.

It was Santell’s jumper, in fact, that put St. John’s ahead for the first time in the game, 44-43, with just a minute left in the third quarter.

The Red Storm – which had lost its first two games of the season as the Rams went won their first three – never looked back.

Heading into the game, Rhode Island had been hot and St. John’s had been not. There seemed to be little doubt that the Rams would chalk up another win and stay atop the Rising Stars Summer League for yet another week.

That thinking was further enforced when the Rams – thanks to a basket by Ryan Davies and a three-point play by Dave Anderson – jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead. Despite to early baskets by Fiscella, which trimmed the Rhode Island lead down to 5-4, the Rams maintained controlled and built up a 17-8 lead by the close of the period.

And it was Anderson who did a lot of scoring work, dropping in eight points to fuel a 12-4 run. Matt DeLuca added a pair of baskets of his own while the Red Storm attempted to stay close with a basket by Fiscella and two fouls by Austin Samsel.

In the second period, the Red Storm had a little life as Fiscella scored five points on a three-point play and a pull up jumper. When Tim Kerr added his own jump shot, the Red Storm were only down 17-15.

But that seven-point rally served to wake the Rams up. Anderson and DeLuca both scored baskets to give the Rams a six-point cushion. Still, the Red Storm remained within shouting distance and never dropped further away than six points. Tommy Santella tossed in a long jumper, after a steal near midcourt, that put the Storm within two again, 27-25, but the Storm could not get any closer.

When Anderson (19 points on the night) tossed in a baseline jumper near the close of the half, the Rams had extended their lead to 35-28 and seemed in the process of holding off the determined Red Storm.

In fact, Anderson opened the scoring in the second half and then, a few moments later, drained another basket that gave the Rams their biggest lead of the night, 10 points, at 41-31. Anthony Santella hit a pair of fouls to momentarily break the double-digit lead, Armstrong’s jumper from the top of the key reinstated it.

Yet, that’s when things started to change.

And rather quickly, too . . . Fiscella with a foul shot, Santella with a pair of fouls, Kostecki on the fly from Santella, Kostecki again in the lane, Santella with two fouls, Santella with a jumper, Kostecki with a tough move in the lane, and Santella with a foul.

The stunning 14-0 run put the Red Storm up 47-43 at the close of the third period.

At the start of the fourth period, however, Armstrong helped the Rams stop the bleeding with a baseline move that trimmed the Red Storm lead to 47-45. But Fiscella (27 points on the night) hit a pair of fouls and a baseline reverse layup that extended the St. John’s lead to 51-45.

Davies hit a pair of foul shots to trim the lead to 51-47, but the Rams would not get closer than four points the rest of the way. Fiscella put back his own miss and then Alex Baldini put back another shot and the Red Storm had built up an eight-point lead, 55-47. Moments later, Fiscella hit a pair of foul shots and then rolled in a layup and a nice drave-and-fake in the lane to give the Red Storm it’s first 10-point lead, 59-49.

Armstrong momentarily trimmed the lead by two with a jumper, but the Red Storm – on baskets by Fiscella, Samsel and Kostecki – extended their lead to a whopping 14 points, 65-51, late in the fourth period.

Anderson, Brian Miller and Mike Nastri did score some late baskets, however, to pull the Rams within eight, 65-57, but Samsel finished it all off for St. John’s with a basket coming off a nice pass from Fiscella.