St. John’s Clinches Big East Title
In a thrilling matchup held on Friday evening, No. 18 St. John’s clinched at least a share of its second consecutive Big East regular-season title, defeating Seton Hall by a score of 72-65 in Newark, New Jersey. This victory marks the first back-to-back regular-season championships for the Red Storm in four decades, a feat last accomplished during the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons under coach Lou Carnesecca.
Key Performers
Leading the charge for St. John’s was Zuby Ejiofor, who racked up 21 points. His performance did not go unchallenged as he had to navigate foul trouble, spending over eight minutes on the bench in the second half after picking up his third foul early in the period. However, he returned to provide a significant offensive boost, tallying 12 points during the second half and helping his team achieve an impressive shooting percentage of 65.2% after the break.
Alongside Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins contributed notably with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Oziyah Sellers matched his scoring efforts with 11 points and added five rebounds. The win was crucial as it positioned St. John’s comfortably in the standings, with Marquette’s impending game against Connecticut determining if the Red Storm would secure the title outright.
Seton Hall’s Efforts
On the other side, Adam Clark led Seton Hall with 15 points and was supplemented by Najai Hines, who scored 11 points alongside five rebounds from the bench. Despite the effort, the Pirates finished the regular season as the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Big East Tournament, struggling against top competitors with an 0-6 record against St. John’s, UConn, and Villanova.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, both teams will compete in the Big East Tournament next Thursday at Madison Square Garden, where St. John’s will enter as the top seed once again. The Red Storm aims to leverage their strong finish to potentially emerge victorious in the postseason, while Seton Hall will seek to overturn its recent losses against higher-ranked teams in the tournament.
