Ejiofor Shines in St. John’s Overtime Victory

Zuby Ejiofor didn’t leave much to chance during the game. After a quieter second half, he decided to take control. Ejiofor scored on his very first touch in overtime, netting six of his total 25 points, and helped 17th-ranked St. John’s secure a close 87-82 win against Xavier at The Garden.

Bryce Hopkins made two essential steals in overtime, while Ojia Sellers capped off the performance with a dunk in the waning seconds. Interestingly, Sellers managed to tip in an earlier missed shot to push the game into overtime. This victory also marked Rick Pitino’s 904th career win, placing him third on the all-time wins list.

St. John’s University is now on a remarkable ten-game winning streak, sharing first place with Connecticut State.

Ejiofor not only excelled in scoring but also contributed with seven rebounds and five assists. Meanwhile, Hopkins added 19 points and nine rebounds to the effort, and Dylan Darling chipped in with 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

On the other hand, Tre Carroll scored 21 points for Xavier but struggled in overtime, failing to make a field goal attempt. Darling initiated a 10-2 run that gave St. John’s a three-point lead with about five minutes left. However, things got tense when Dahlin missed two free throws that could have pushed the lead to five, allowing Xavier to respond effectively.

With just under 50 seconds remaining, Carroll managed to give his team the lead, but Sellers’ tip-in with just over 16 seconds left pushed the game into overtime. In an unfortunate turn, Carroll fell in the closing seconds, and his desperate shot was nowhere near the target.

The atmosphere wasn’t as electrifying as it had been just a few days earlier, especially after Connecticut’s thrilling win. While over 16,000 fans showed up, the mood was more subdued, with a calmer defensive approach from the team.