Zuby Ejiofor had a career-high 33 points, setting a new St. John’s record in the Big East Tournament, as the sixth-ranked Red Storm defeated No. 25 Marquette 79-63 on Friday night. This win secured St. John’s a spot in the conference championship game for the first time in 25 years. RJ Luis Jr., the Big East Player of the Year, contributed 13 points, while Ejiofor grabbed nine rebounds. St. John’s, the top seed with a 29-4 record, overcame an early 15-point deficit to advance to the next round.
The Red Storm will face either Creighton or UConn in the championship game on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Kadary Richmond had an impressive performance with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. St. John’s, under coach Rick Pitino, is on an eight-game winning streak and has won 18 of their last 19 games since the new year.
Marquette’s Kam Jones scored 24 points, but the Golden Eagles were unable to overcome St. John’s dominance, losing all three matchups this season. St. John’s is now one win away from claiming their fourth Big East Tournament title and the first since 2000.
St. John’s has a strong case for a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, boasting a perfect 20-0 record at home, including an 11-0 record at Madison Square Garden. The team’s last unbeaten home record was in the 1931-32 season.
A key moment in the game was a 16-3 run by St. John’s that gave them a 10-point lead in the second half. Marquette struggled from beyond the arc, missing 12 consecutive 3-point attempts before David Joplin finally connected.
St. John’s split their regular-season games with Creighton and swept UConn for the first time in 25 years.
