PHILADELPHIA — This time, the progress felt more gradual. It had to be, considering the stakes.
Villanova acted as a tougher opponent for St. John’s. Unlike Creighton’s overwhelming 25-4 run last weekend—or Marquette’s whopping 24-point deficit on Tuesday—St. John’s wasn’t about to let that happen.
This was especially true at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, filled to the brim as fans anticipated the Wildcats’ return.
Building a lead took almost all 40 minutes, but eventually, St. John’s managed to pull away.
Missed free throws—ten overall, including crucial ones in the second half—and a pivotal shot from Villanova could have allowed a comeback, which made things tense.
The 14-point margin shrank to just 5 with only 90 seconds left.
But St. John’s held on for an 86-79 win, extending their winning streak to four games while securing sole possession of second place in the Big East, setting up a crucial clash with Seton Hall at the Garden on Tuesday.
Bryce Hopkins was the standout player with 22 points, while Ian Jackson added 16 points, marking a season-high with seven field goals.
For Villanova, Tyler Perkins and Devin Askew tallied 23 and 21 points, respectively, with some timely shots that helped them overcome 14 turnovers.
Just when it seemed St. John’s had established an unassailable lead, the Wildcats started to close the gap.
Askew’s three-pointer with 90 seconds remaining sparked a roar from the home crowd, prompting St. John’s to call a timeout as they sought to restore their lead to a safer level.
After some frantic moments that saw Joeson Sannon miss a shot from beyond the arc and Askew miss a layup down the floor, a foul on Hopkins led to two free throws, giving St. John’s an 80-73 lead with just over a minute remaining.
That, it turned out, was sufficient.
The Johnnies only expanded their lead to seven points in the first half even after some early momentum, with Villanova narrowing it to 36-35 by halftime, despite St. John’s only hitting one three-point shot.
Ojia Sellers had a quiet first half, scoring nothing after a recent 24-point game. Jackson seemed less likely to begin the offense.
However, things picked up for the Johnny’s early in the second half.
Four minutes in, Sellers found his scoring touch, pushing St. John’s ahead by eight points. A steal by Hopkins set up Jackson for a fading bank shot—pretty dynamic stuff, really.
But after gaining a 63-48 lead with 11:14 left, St. John’s saw Villanova fight back. Bryce Lindsey kept the play alive and hit a critical three-pointer after recovering a loose ball. Zuby Ejiofor missed a key free throw that could have shifted the momentum.
Amidst that flurry, Askew’s three-point play brought the Wildcats within seven points with seven minutes remaining.
Still, the Johnny’s managed to keep their lead. Sanon, quiet for much of the game, landed a clutch three-pointer right before the media timeout.
Despite a sluggish start, Pitino’s roster is beginning to emerge as a contender in the conference and boasts a solid record of 7-1 against Willard, marking their first face-off since 2020.
As the Big East Tournament approaches in March, St. John’s has tackled this significant conference challenge, one that could weigh heavily in seeding discussions later on.
This winning streak, it seems, isn’t just a fluke. It appears sustainable, even under tough circumstances.
Of course, there are still areas for improvement, but this game was an essential statement for the conference.
