INDIANAPOLIS — RJ Luis Jr. propelled No. 7 St. John’s to a significant victory with 24 points, as they edged past Butler 76-70 on a pivotal night that saw them secure a portion of the Big East regular-season title, something they hadn’t achieved in 33 years.
Kadary Richmond made significant contributions with 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals for the Red Storm (25-4, 16-2), aiding them in setting a new school record for conference victories and clinching the program’s sixth Big East regular-season championship. St. John’s has a clear path to claiming the outright league title with either a win over Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on Saturday or a Creighton loss at Xavier. Their only outright Big East regular-season title came in 1985, marking a historic march to the Final Four.
“We are not interested in sharing anything,” expressed 72-year-old coach Rick Pitino, who has orchestrated a notable revival in his two years with St. John’s. “I’ll share other things in my life. I’m not interested in sharing championships.”
Zuby Ejiofor chipped in with 12 points for the Johnnies, as they reach their highest position in the AP Top 25 poll since December 1991. That year, they were co-champions of the Big East alongside Georgetown and Seton Hall — marking legendary coach Lou Carnesecca’s final season before his recent passing just shy of 100 years old.
On Butler’s side, Jahmyl Telfort added 13 points and seven rebounds, although the team struggled with a 39% shooting rate.
**Takeaways**
St. John’s: Despite challenges in creating a comfortable lead, the team displayed their postseason capabilities by maintaining their well-known defensive fervor. Butler was restricted to a mere 6 for 27 from beyond the arc.
Butler: This game marked the fifth consecutive loss to St. John’s.
**Key Moment**
With fans on their feet, Zuby Ejiofor made a crucial play by outmaneuvering Butler’s towering center, Andre Screen, to extend St. John’s lead to 70-66 in the final minute. A subsequent turnover by Butler, followed by a foul, saw the crowd start heading for the exits.
**Key Stat**
Even though Butler secured a 39-32 advantage on the boards, they were outmatched in second-chance points, trailing 18-12.
**Up Next**
St. John’s is set to welcome Seton Hall on Saturday, while Butler travels to face Villanova.
