NEW YORK (AP) -Dwight Hardy scored 16 points and D.J. Kennedy added 15 as St. John's held off Brown 79-76 on Friday night.

The Red Storm (3-0) led by as many as 14 points in the first half and took a 42-32 lead into halftime.

Sean Evans scored the first three points of the second half, but the Bears (1-3) cut the lead to 57-51 with 11:49 remaining.

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St. John's again built a 13-point advantage, leading 71-58 with 6:40 left. Brown then ran off a 16-4 spurt, capped by Tucker Halpern's 3-pointer, to make it 75-74 with 1:13 left.

Kennedy scored on a dunk, then Halpern hit a jumper with 41 seconds left. Malik Boothe hit two free throws with 18 seconds remaining for 79-76. Adrian Williams missed the tying 3-pointer with a second left and Boothe rebounded.

Peter Sullivan scored 17 points to lead the Bears, who shot 70 percent in the second half (14-for-20), and Matt Mullery added 16.