St. John’s Continues Winning Streak Against Butler

The winning streak for St. John’s began around three weeks ago during a matchup against Butler, when coach Rick Pitino opted for a larger lineup.

A significant change was the inclusion of Dillon Mitchell as a starter, which seems to have transformed what was previously a disappointing season.

On Wednesday, St. John’s showcased this change with a solid 92-70 victory over Butler at Madison Square Garden, marking their seventh consecutive win.

Mitchell, a versatile 6-foot-8 forward, contributed 14 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and provided four assists. Perhaps most notably, he effectively limited Butler’s top scorer, Finley Bizjak, to just 11 points.

This performance mirrored their earlier game against Butler, where Mitchell’s size proved effective in neutralizing the 6-foot-4 Bizjak, keeping him sidelined and preventing any significant impact.

In that game, Mitchell thwarted Bizjak, who had been scoring an impressive 25.6 points over the previous three outings—all victories for Butler.

After two remarkable comebacks against Seton Hall and Xavier, St. John’s found this game much less arduous. They quickly built a lead of 18-5 and maintained a 14-point advantage at halftime.

The lead grew to 20 points midway through the second half, making the outcome fairly certain.

Zuby Ejiofor added 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks, while Joeson Sanon scored 13 points—marking his first time in double figures since New Year’s Eve.

Ian Jackson also shone with 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists throughout the contest.

Butler came into the game riding a three-game winning streak but needed a victory to bolster their chances for the NCAA Tournament.

However, St. John’s played with urgency, controlling the boards with a +10 advantage and dominating the paint with a +14 lead, while holding Butler to a mere seven successful three-pointers.