St. John’s Bounces Back with Dominant Win

Rick Pitino mentioned the other day that sometimes a bad loss can be more beneficial than a narrow defeat.

It can act as a catalyst, pushing a team to dig deeper for motivation.

Seems like St. John’s took that to heart.

Just three days after a disappointing loss in Connecticut, the No. 15 Johnnies didn’t just recover; they unleashed their frustration on Villanova, securing an impressive 89-57 victory at The Garden. This win has them tied with Connecticut at the top of the Big East elimination standings.

“The reaction was everything,” said senior star Zuby Ejiofor in a post-game interview after what was St. John’s largest victory margin over Villanova. “I’m really happy for the players.”

With Pitino donning a white outfit, despite some initial uncertainty, St. John’s put together its best first half of the season, treating the Wildcats as a practice partner.

This performance was both thorough and commanding, showcasing St. John’s ability to dismantle tournament teams with apparent ease.

Ejiofor notched his first career triple-double, contributing 16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and three blocks despite the team initially trailing.

Meanwhile, Ian Jackson also shined off the bench, racking up 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals. Ojia Sellers added 14 points, and together, they held Villanova to their lowest scoring output of the season, with 29 points and 16 turnovers. St. John’s recorded a season-high 26 assists and shot 52.5 percent from the field.

This is the kind of strong response St. John’s (23-6, 16-2) needed. Heading into Wednesday’s game against Hartford, they’re on a 13-game winning streak.

The game felt a bit sluggish at the beginning, and Ejiofor admitted he needed to ensure his teammates were fired up for Saturday night.

Clearly, he succeeded in that regard. When Ejiofor dished out his 10th and final assist in the last minute, the crowd erupted in cheers of “Zuuuby.”

It was, by all accounts, a flawless first half for Pitino. St. John’s had impressive runs of 17-3 and 16-1, making 14 of their first 22 shots and achieving 15 assists, while outscoring Villanova 22-6 in the paint.

Jackson was particularly active, ending the night with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals, including a highlight reel windmill dunk after one of his steals.

Ejiofor showcased a versatile game, finishing with nine points, six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Remarkably, Villanova had more turnovers (eight) than they had field goals.

St. John’s impressive shooting percentage of 57.6, combined with just two turnovers, gave them a notable advantage on the boards. In the first half alone, they averaged an impressive 1.455 points per possession.

On a slightly negative note, Ejiofor did foul Bryce Lindsay on a 3-point attempt in the final seconds, which frustrated Pitino. Regardless of the score difference, he kept pushing the team hard.