QUEENS, N.Y. -- In the tip-off game of the St. John's Chartwell's Holiday Classic, the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles lost to host St. John's, 58-46, Saturday afternoon. Despite having three players score in double-digits, the Golden Eagles couldn't compete on the boards. The Red Storm out-rebounded Tech, 41-28, with 19 offensive boards. 

In the big lights of a large city, the Golden Eagles appeared to be a fish out of water. No one expected Tech to make a splash, but the Purple and Gold looked right at home on the court. In the opening moments of the game, Molly Heady made a statement from the corner, draining a three-pointer as the first player to score for either team. The Golden Eagles came to the city to win and were not going to be intimidated by the bright lights.

After being stunned by an energized Golden Eagle squad, St. John's clicked into typical Big East physical style of play, and Tech lost their only lead of the game, and never got within three points in the game. 

Tech fought hard, and kept the game close, trying to keep the Red Storm at bay, but it wasn't enough. Tech gave 22 second chance points to the Red Storm, and only scored four of their own. The Golden Eagles kept St. John's runs to a minimum, keeping the Red Storm scoreless for four minutes in the first half, but they continued to drift away on the boards as Tech only collected 28 rebounds.

Leading the Golden Eagles was Molly Heady with 12 points, Diamond Henderson with 11 and Jala Harris with 10. The trio combined for 11 of the teams rebounds, and T'Keyah Williams added five rebounds. 

The Purple and Gold are looking to shine brighter than two of the nation's top teams Sunday in the consolation game when the Golden Eagles will face either St. Mary's College (Calif.) or UCLA. Both have received nods from the AP and USA Today's Top 25 polls and are coached by some of the most well-respected coaches in the nation. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. CT.