No. 13 St. John’s Red Storm Knocks Off Seton Hall To Advance To Big East Title Game

When Seton Hall trimmed a 19-point St. John’s lead down to six with under five minutes left at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, a few Johnnies fans probably started stress-eating. But this St. John’s team? They don’t fold. Not this year. Not on this stage.

With 4:41 left on the clock and the Garden crowd buzzing with energy, Zuby Ejiofor did what Zuby Ejiofor does. He scored inside. He blocked a shot. Joson Sanon knocked down a pair of free throws. Dillon Mitchell swiped a steal. Just like that, a 7-0 run and a sigh of relief from Queens to Long Island. St. John’s survived, 78-68, and is now one win away from back-to-back Big East Tournament championships.

St. John’s Is Hunting a Second Straight Big East Crown

For the first time since the 1999-2000 season, St. John’s is heading to consecutive Big East Tournament title games. Let that sink in. A quarter century of waiting, and Rick Pitino’s squad is now on the cusp of making it two in a row.

The Johnnies are 27-6, have won 18 of their last 19 games, and have now rattled off five straight Big East Tournament wins by double digits. Five. In a row. By double digits. That’s not a team on a hot streak — that’s a team that knows exactly who they are.

Ejiofor Delivered When It Mattered Most

Pitino wasn’t exactly thrilled with Ejiofor’s quarterfinal performance against Providence. So what did the Big East Player of the Year do? He came out against Seton Hall and dropped 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He’s now 6-1 in Big East Tournament games. The man treats the Garden like it’s his living room.

Sanon chipped in 15 points, while Mitchell (13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and Bryce Hopkins (13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) gave St. John’s the kind of balanced, two-way effort that makes them so hard to beat. This isn’t a one-man show. It’s an ensemble cast that just keeps delivering.

Seton Hall Made It a Fight

Give Seton Hall credit. They did not go quietly. The Pirates chipped away, got the crowd on their side, and made the final minutes genuinely uncomfortable for St. John’s supporters. Adam Clark was terrific, finishing with 17 points and 11 assists. Senior Forward Jacob Dar came off the bench to score 13 points in 19 minutes.

But Seton Hall’s center situation was a problem from the opening tip. St. John’s bigs physically dominated Stephon Payne so badly in the first three minutes that Shaheen Holloway yanked him before the first media timeout. Freshman Najai Hines helped stabilize things, but the damage was already done. St. John’s led 38-30 at halftime and never truly let the Pirates back in.

The Johnnies beat Seton Hall three times this season. The first two came down to the wire. This one had a little more breathing room, though not as much breathing room as St. John’s probably would’ve liked.

What’s Next For St. John’s

The Johnnies will face the winner of No. 2 UConn and No. 11 Georgetown in Saturday’s Big East Championship game at 6:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. If it’s UConn, it’s a potential revenge match after St. John’s torched the Huskies by 32 points back in February — one of the most talked-about wins of the college basketball season. If it’s Georgetown, the Johnnies will be heavy favorites.

Either way, St. John’s is in the game, playing their best basketball at exactly the right time. And in March, that’s all you can ask for. The Garden is going to be loud Saturday night. St. John’s is hoping to give their fans one more reason to celebrate.