No. 13 St. John's secured their spot in the Big East Tournament semifinals after a commanding victory over Providence with an 85-72 win, according to multiple reports. The Red Storm dominated from the start, leading throughout and building a significant cushion early on.
Key Takeaways
St. John's secured a spot in the Big East Tournament semifinals by defeating Providence 85-72, led by Zuby Ejiofor's standout performance and strong bench contributions. They will face Seton Hall next. Meanwhile, UConn coach Dan Hurley called their recent loss at Marquette a 'choke job' but praised his team's response in subsequent games.
- St. John's advances to Big East semifinals with 85-72 win over Providence
- Zuby Ejiofor scores 21 points and grabs 10 rebounds for the Red Storm
- Bryce Hopkins contributes 14 points and a season-high 13 rebounds
- UConn coach Dan Hurley criticizes team's loss at Marquette but praises their bounce-back performance
The standout performance came from Zuby Ejiofor, who scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out five assists, and blocked three shots. Bryce Hopkins also had a strong game with 14 points and a season-high 13 rebounds against his former team. The bench played a crucial role for St. John's, contributing significantly to the win.
The Friars made an effort to trim the lead after halftime but were ultimately unable to close the gap completely. Stefan Vaaks led Providence with 23 points, including 19 in the second half. Despite their efforts, St. John's pushed the lead back to 24 points with just over four minutes left.
The victory sets up a semifinal matchup against Seton Hall for St. John’s on Friday evening at Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, Providence coach Kim English was fired after the loss, ending his three-year tenure with the Friars. The Red Storm will look to continue their strong performance as they advance in the tournament.
St. John's defeated UConn 72-52 to win their second straight Big East Tournament championship on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, according to chicagotribune.com, apnews.com, and cbsnews.com. Zuby Ejiofor had seven blocks, nine rebounds, and three steals in the game. St. John’s became the first team to win consecutive Big East Tournament titles since Villanova took three in a row from 2017-19.
'What a beautiful moment. What a surreal moment,' Ejiofor said. 'We had a target on our backs all year.'
St. John’s is coached by 73-year-old Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, who expressed his pride in the team's achievement during the postgame celebration.
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