NEW YORK — Zuby Ejiofor delivered a career-best performance with 33 points, setting a St. John’s record for the Big East Tournament, as the sixth-ranked Red Storm defeated No. 25 Marquette 79-63 on Friday night. The victory propels St. John’s to its first conference championship game appearance in 25 years.
Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. contributed 13 points, while Ejiofor dominated the boards with nine rebounds. Despite falling behind by 15 points early, the top-seeded Red Storm (29-4) surged back and secured a spot in Saturday’s final against second-seeded Creighton, which knocked off No. 3 UConn 71-62 in the semifinals.
Kadary Richmond played a key all-around role with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists for St. John’s, which extended its winning streak to eight games. The Red Storm has now won 18 of its last 19 contests in its second season under legendary 72-year-old head coach Rick Pitino. They are just one victory away from capturing their fourth Big East Tournament title and first since 2000.
Marquette’s Kam Jones led his team with 24 points, but the fifth-seeded Golden Eagles (23-10) struggled against St. John’s all season, losing all three meetings, including this latest setback. The defeat drops Marquette to 1-6 all-time against the Red Storm in the Big East Tournament.
Game Takeaways:
Marquette: Interior struggles plagued the Golden Eagles throughout the season against St. John’s, and Friday night was no different. However, they’ll have a chance to reset and take on non-conference opponents when the NCAA Tournament begins.
St. John’s: The Red Storm strengthened its case for a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament with another commanding performance. The team remains unbeaten at home, improving to 20-0, including an 11-0 record at Madison Square Garden—their best showing at the iconic venue since winning 13 games there in the 1958-59 season. The last time St. John’s completed a perfect home season was in 1931-32.
Turning Point:
Trailing by three early in the second half, St. John’s grabbed momentum when Aaron Scott buried a clutch three-pointer. On the ensuing possession, a foul on Marquette’s Chase Ross was upgraded to a flagrant 1 after a review. Ejiofor sank both free throws, igniting a 16-3 run that put St. John’s up by 10 with 14 minutes to play. Scott finished with 11 points.
Key Stat:
Marquette started strong from beyond the arc, hitting five of its first ten three-point attempts. However, the Golden Eagles then endured a brutal cold spell, missing 12 consecutive shots from deep. By the time David Joplin finally connected with 11:42 remaining, Marquette had squandered a 10-point lead and found itself trailing by double digits.
What’s Next:
St. John’s and Creighton split their two regular-season meetings. Creighton is seeking its first Big East Tournament title after falling short in four previous appearances. The championship showdown tips off Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
