WASHINGTON – In an impressive display, Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejiofor each contributed 13 points, leading the No. 15 St. John’s to a dominant 66-41 victory against Georgetown on Tuesday night. This win marked the Red Storm’s seventh straight, solidifying their position as a formidable contender in the Big East.
With eight players finding the score sheet, St. John’s achieved its longest winning streak in conference play since the year 2000. Currently holding a record of 18-3 and 9-1 in the Big East, St. John’s is enjoying its best start since the iconic 1985-86 season, where they began with an impressive 20-2 under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca.
Tied with No. 9 Marquette at the top of the league standings, this season marks the first time since the 1984-85 season that St. John’s has accumulated a 9-1 record in conference affairs. That previous team went on to finish the regular season with a streak of 14-0, eventually reaching the Final Four.
The game quickly tilted in St. John’s favor, starting with an astounding lead of 23-3 and later 37-9, with the advantage hitting 30 points late in the first half. Georgetown’s Malik Mack managed to score 13 points, but despite making a push to cut the deficit to 15 points with just over six minutes left, the Hoyas failed to narrow the margin any further.
This performance highlighted St. John’s defensive prowess, allowing the fewest points in a Big East game while marking their most dominant defensive showing since an 82-39 victory against Drake in November 2010.
On the positive side for St. John’s, the path to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 appears promising in coach Rick Pitino’s second season. The team also achieved its highest ranking in the AP Top 25 since December 29, 2014, moving up five spots after a hard-fought overtime win against Xavier last week.
Conversely, it has been a challenging season for Georgetown under coach Ed Cooley, particularly when it comes to scoring. The Hoyas have now failed to surpass 70 points in eight consecutive games, a slump not seen in the program since the 2005-06 season. Their total of 41 points in this contest also represented the lowest they have tallied this season.
A pivotal moment occurred when Georgetown closed the gap to 15 points, at which point Aaron Scott ended a nearly five-minute scoreless stretch for St. John’s by draining a 3-pointer with 5:04 on the clock.
Notably, St. John’s has now won nine consecutive matchups against Georgetown, dating back to Georgetown’s overtime victory of 97-94 in December 2020.
Looking ahead, St. John’s will next host Providence at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, while Georgetown prepares to welcome Butler on Friday night.
