New York, NY— The St. John’s Red Storm are headed back to the championship game of the Big East Tournament after defeating the Seton Hall Pirates 78–68 in Friday night’s semifinal at Madison Square Garden.
Zuby Ejiofor led the Red Storm with 20 points and five rebounds, continuing his strong tournament run. With the performance, Ejiofor joined Kemba Walker as the only players to score at least 20 points in four consecutive Big East Tournament games.
St. John’s received strong support from its frontcourt as well. Bryce Hopkins finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Dillon Mitchell added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. As a team, the Red Storm shot 52.1 percent from the field, compared to 41.5 percent for Seton Hall.
St. John’s set the tone early by attacking the basket. After opening their previous game with a 9–0 run against the Providence Friars, the Red Storm again started quickly, scoring the first eight points on a series of inside baskets.
Following a timeout from Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway, the Pirates responded with improved offense. The teams traded baskets for several minutes as Seton Hall made eight of its next 13 shots, but St. John’s continued to find success in the paint, scoring 24 of its first-half points near the rim.
Momentum shifted further toward St. John’s when reserve guard Joson Sanon heated up. Sanon knocked down a three-pointer in transition to push the lead to 28–20, then delivered a four-point play after being fouled by TJ Simpkins on a fall-away three. The sophomore guard finished with 15 points off the bench.
Mitchell later added a layup to extend the advantage to 36–23 before Seton Hall closed the gap late in the half. St. John’s carried a 38–30 lead into the break.
The Red Storm again surged early in the second half. An 11–0 run, capped by a layup from Oziyah Sellers, stretched the margin to 19 points.
Seton Hall refused to go away, however. The Pirates mounted a 20–7 run that cut the deficit to 62–56 after a corner three-pointer from AJ Staton-McCray with just under five minutes remaining.
St. John’s responded by tightening its defense and executing down the stretch. Key steals from Sanon and Mitchell helped halt the comeback, and the Red Storm sealed the victory at the free-throw line. St. John’s finished 24-for-30 from the stripe.
The win also marked a milestone for the program. St. John’s became the eighth school in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history to reach 2,000 victories, joining programs such as the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball, Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball, North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball, Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball, UCLA Bruins men’s basketball, Temple Owls men’s basketball and Syracuse Orange men’s basketball.
Now 27–6, St. John’s will try to capture its second straight conference tournament title Saturday night. The Red Storm will face the winner of the semifinal between the UConn Huskies and the Georgetown Hoyas in the championship game at Madison Square Garden.
