NEW YORK — Deivon Smith hit a crucial 3-pointer in the middle of the second half, igniting an impressive 18-0 run that lifted No. 22 St. John’s to a 66-45 victory over Wagner on Wednesday night. This win marks the program’s first triumph as a ranked team in nearly a decade.

RJ Luis Jr. contributed with 13 points, while Aaron Scott added 11. Additionally, Smith, standing at 6 feet tall, led his team in rebounding with eight boards, effectively helping St. John’s (3-0) to distance themselves from Wagner in the final moments after a somewhat disorganized opening 30 minutes.

Under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino in his second season, the Red Storm entered the AP Top 25 poll this week, their first appearance since January 2019. This also marks their first victory as a ranked team since defeating Tulane on December 28, 2014.

Javier Ezquerra led Wagner (1-2) with 10 points as they struggled to match St. John’s intensity.

In terms of performance, Wagner was selected as co-favorites alongside Central Connecticut State in the Northeast Conference’s preseason coaches’ poll. The Seahawks exhibited remarkable hustle for the initial 30 minutes but faltered in their shooting, connecting on just 29.1% of their attempts from the field and managing only 5 out of 24 (21%) from beyond the arc.

St. John’s, under Pitino’s leadership, found themselves shooting only 60% from the free-throw line, converting 18 of 30 attempts in what was his first time coaching a Top 25 team since his tenure at Louisville.

A pivotal moment came late in the first half when Wagner’s freshman Zavier Fitch lost his sneaker near midcourt. Ezquerra inadvertently dribbled the ball against the shoe, allowing Simeon Wilcher to capitalize with an easy steal and layup, which completed a 10-2 run and extended St. John’s lead to 30-20.

A particularly striking statistic was that St. John’s outpaced Wagner in fast-break points, scoring 20-0 in that category.

Looking ahead, Wagner will face Seton Hall on Saturday, while St. John’s is set to compete against New Mexico, led by Pitino’s son, Richard, on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.