It’s been a strange few weeks for the St. John’s men’s basketball program. After dropping a home game to Providence on Jan. 3, the Red Storm rattled off three straight wins, two coming on the road as Quad 1 victories over Creighton and Butler, followed by an easy handling of a disappointing Marquette squad.
On the road in Philadelphia, the Johnnies knew another challenge awaited. They faced a new-look Villanova team coached by Kevin Willard, who previously led Maryland to a Sweet 16 appearance. The Wildcats entered play with a 14-3 record (5-1 Big East), firmly atop the conference standings and positioned as a measuring stick for St. John’s.
It was a tough matchup on the road, with the Red Storm looking to add another Quad 1 victory after starting Big East play 0-4. Still, Rick Pitino guided his squad to a 86-79 win. Both teams came out swinging, with Villanova scoring the game’s first basket directly off the opening tip.
The opening half was a physical, back-and-forth battle. St. John’s held its largest lead of the first 20 minutes at the eight-minute mark, when a Bryce Hopkins layup pushed the advantage to five. The Wildcats quickly answered, and the half ended with the Red Storm clinging to a 36-35 lead.
Villanova stayed within striking distance thanks to its perimeter shooting, going 5-for-14 from long distance in the first half compared to St. John’s 1-for-6 start from deep. Long Beach State transfer Devin Askew provided a spark for the Wildcats, scoring 10 first-half points while knocking down both of his three-point attempts.
St. John’s offense, meanwhile, was fueled by its interior presence. The Red Storm scored 22 of their 36 first-half points in the paint, with Dillon Mitchell thriving as a point-forward. Mitchell tallied nine points and seven rebounds before the break.
The script flipped entirely in the second half, as St. John’s seized control. Ian Jackson scored the first four points out of the locker room, attacking the paint with force. The Red Storm never let up, stretching the lead to double digits behind Jackson’s relentless effort.
Jackson was a driving force on offense, finishing with 18 points, a season high, while shooting 7-of-12 from the field.
St. John’s dominated both ends of the floor, forcing five turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the half while outscoring Villanova 27-12 during that stretch.
After trailing by as many as 17, the Wildcats mounted a brief response, cutting the deficit to 10 with back-to-back three-pointers and forcing a quick timeout from Pitino. Out of the break, Zuby Ejiofor continued his presence inside, battling through contact for an and-one finish.
The Red Storm briefly struggled to find a rhythm offensively, leaning on second-chance opportunities as Ejiofor repeatedly attacked the glass. However, missed free throws allowed Villanova to close the gap to seven following a three-pointer from Tyler Perkins.
Arizona State transfer Joson Sanon immediately answered, drilling a three of his own and gesturing for the home crowd to quiet down. Askew kept Villanova alive moments later, converting a layup and drawing a foul from Jackson to complete a three-point play, cutting the margin to 69-62.
With four minutes remaining and in need of separation, Sanon again delivered, knocking down a three to push the lead to 77-66. Villanova responded once more, as Askew connected from deep to make it 78-73 with under two minutes remaining.
St. John’s closed the door at the free-throw line, led by Hopkins, who went 4-for-4 in the final minutes to finish with 22 points and six rebounds.
The driving force behind the Johnnies’ success was their dominance in the paint, where they scored 42 of their 86 points, along with their work on the boards, finishing with 12 offensive rebounds. However, struggles at the free-throw line kept Villanova within reach, as St. John’s shot 21-of-31 as a team.
St. John’s returns to action on Jan. 20 at Madison Square Garden, where it will face Seton Hall, one of the season’s biggest surprises. The Pirates hold a 14-4 record after being projected to finish last in the Big East.
