NEW YORK — RJ Luis Jr. led No. 7 St. John’s to victory over Seton Hall, scoring 21 points in their 71-61 win that secured the team’s first outright Big East regular-season championship since 1985. Playing before a lively sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden, the Red Storm (26-4, 17-2) maintained their spotless 18-0 home record. Head coach Rick Pitino, donning a white suit for a second consecutive season, oversaw the triumph.
The match was shifted to MSG from an on-campus venue, but the team opted not to cut the nets for a celebration. After sealing the victory, a montage of key moments was featured, and the team received the championship trophy amidst falling confetti. Coach Pitino thanked the supporters in a brief address, expressing optimism by saying, “We’re just getting started.” Zuby Ejiofor contributed significantly with 17 points and 10 rebounds, though the team only shot 43.4% and struggled until the closing moments.
For Seton Hall (7-22, 2-16), Dylan Addae-Wusu achieved 18 points and Isaiah Coleman added 15, concluding what has been the Pirates’ poorest season since 1982-83. Though Seton Hall fought hard, this defeat marked their third consecutive loss by a margin of 10 points or fewer.
Key takeaways illustrated that St. John’s has faced challenges with free-throw accuracy, managing only 63.6% in this matchup. A pivotal moment occurred after a challenging first half when their slim lead was nearly eroded six times, but Luis’s emphatic one-handed dunk following a Seton Hall turnover boosted their lead to 59-52 with 6:43 on the clock.
An area of concern for the Red Storm is their turnovers. They came into the game with an average of 11 turnovers per match, but they ended this contest with 16.
Looking ahead, Seton Hall will face Creighton at home on Tuesday, while St. John’s is slated to visit Marquette on March 8.
