St. John’s Dominates Butler in Convincing Victory
The No. 25 ranked St. John’s Red Storm showcased a dominant performance against Butler on Wednesday night, securing a convincing 92-70 victory at Madison Square Garden. This triumph marks St. John’s seventh consecutive win, further solidifying their status with a record of 16 wins and 5 losses overall, and 9 wins against 1 loss in the Big East conference.
Key Player Performances
Star player Dillon Mitchell contributed significantly with a double-double, netting 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, complemented by four assists and three blocks. Ian Jackson led all scorers with 18 points, while Zuby Ejiofor added 15 points along with six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Joson Sanon also made an impact off the bench, contributing 13 points, underscoring the depth of the Red Storm’s roster under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, who celebrated the milestone of his 901st career win.
Game Highlights
The Red Storm never found themselves trailing during the game and continued their strong trend of dominance against Butler, having now won eight consecutive matchups and winning 11 out of the last 12 encounters. The victory comes on the heels of St. John’s impressive January 6 win, where they previously defeated Butler 84-70 away.
Butler’s Performance
For Butler, Michael Ajayi stood out with a solid performance, scoring 19 points and securing 11 rebounds. However, their record now stands at 13 wins and 8 losses, with a 4-6 mark in conference play following three straight victories prior to facing St. John’s.
Pregame Ceremony and Future Matches
This matchup also featured a pregame ceremony paying tribute to the 73-year-old Pitino, who achieved his 900th career win against Xavier, coincidentally coached by his son, Richard Pitino. In the AP rankings, St. John’s recently returned to the Top 25 for the first time since December, propelled by resilient performances against Seton Hall and Xavier, where they overcame significant second-half deficits.
Looking ahead, Butler will compete against Georgetown this Saturday in their first meeting of the season. St. John’s will face DePaul on Tuesday night after previously defeating them 79-66 in their Big East opener back in mid-December.
