Kadary Richmond stood out with a season-best performance, contributing 19 points to the team’s victory. This win marked the sixth consecutive triumph for the Red Storm, bringing their record to 17-3 overall and 8-1 in Big East conference play. The team has only lost once in their last 13 games, showcasing their strong performance in this season under the leadership of esteemed Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.
St. John’s made a return to the AP Top 25 with its highest ranking in ten years and now claims the sole lead in the conference standings, edging out No. 10 Marquette by half a game. During the thrilling game at Madison Square Garden, where 14,545 fans created an electric atmosphere, RJ Luis Jr. added 16 points, all of which came after halftime, while Simeon Wilcher matched him with 16 points as well. Richmond also contributed significantly with seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals without committing any turnovers over the course of 44 minutes.
For the Musketeers, Ryan Conwell led the scoring with 21 points, trying to help them extend their winning streak to four. Dailyn Swain contributed 16 points but had to leave the game late in the second half due to a sprained ankle. St. John’s point guard Deivon Smith was absent for the second time in three games, dealing with a shoulder injury from earlier this month.
The Mavericks began to show signs of life in the Big East after a sluggish start, and their schedule appears to be easing as the season progresses. Meanwhile, St. John’s is aiming for its first Big East regular-season title since 1992, with their performance this season echoing their successful start from 1985-86 when they began with a 20-2 record. Their current 8-1 mark in conference play is something they haven’t achieved since 1999.
A pivotal moment in the game came when Richmond drove to score a layup with just 1:03 left in regulation, which tied the game at 65 and propelled it into overtime. St. John’s opened the extra period strongly, scoring the first eight points, with Ejiofor responsible for six of those.
Despite a challenging night from beyond the arc, where St. John’s only made one of 12 three-point attempts, they improved their home record to a perfect 13-0.
Looking ahead, Xavier faces yet another tough test on Saturday as they host No. 19 UConn, the reigning two-time national champions. Meanwhile, St. John’s will visit their longstanding rival Georgetown on Tuesday night. Earlier this month, St. John’s made a significant comeback to defeat the Hoyas 63-58 at Madison Square Garden, hinting at an exciting rematch ahead.
