No. 15 St. John’s delivered a powerful response after its recent setback, overpowering Villanova with an emphatic 89-57 victory at Madison Square Garden. The night belonged to forward Zuby Ejiofor, who produced the first triple-double of his career and led the Red Storm to one of their most dominant wins of the season.
With the victory, St. John’s improved to 23-6 overall and 16-2 in the Big East, keeping strong pressure in the conference title race.
Ejiofor Makes Program History
Ejiofor finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming just the fourth player in school history to record a triple-double. The performance came at the perfect time, helping the team bounce back strongly after a difficult loss earlier in the week.
🚨 TRIPLE DOUBLE ALERT🚨
— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) March 1, 2026
With this last assist, Zuby Ejiofor has tallied 16 points, 12 rebounds & 10 assists to become the second St. John's player this century to record a triple-double 🤯
UNREAL‼️ pic.twitter.com/ULuemORVTJ
He shot 6-of-12 from the field and sealed the milestone late in the second half with his 10th assist on a three-pointer. His all-around performance highlighted his growing importance to the team during the final stretch of the regular season.
Also see: Highest Triple-Double Achievements in NBA History
St. John’s Controls the Game from the Start
The Red Storm set the tone early with aggressive defense and efficient offense. After allowing the first basket, St. John’s responded with an 11-0 run and never looked back.
The team built a commanding 48-23 lead by halftime, shooting 57.6 percent in the first half and dominating inside with multiple dunks. At one point, the lead stretched to 30 points, and Villanova never managed to cut the deficit below 17 in the second half.
St. John’s finished the game shooting 52.5 percent overall while forcing turnovers and controlling the tempo throughout.
Key Contributions Across the Roster
Ian Jackson provided a major boost off the bench with 19 points and a career-high five steals, adding energy on both ends of the floor. Oziyah Sellers contributed 14 points and played a key role in the team’s early scoring run.
The win marked St. John’s 14th victory in its last 15 games and their most lopsided result ever against Villanova, surpassing the previous record margin set in 1998.
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Tough Night for Villanova
Villanova struggled to find rhythm offensively, shooting just 25.9 percent in the first half and finishing at 37 percent for the game. Duke Brennan led the Wildcats with 12 points, while Bryce Lindsay and Devin Askew added 10 each.
Freshman Acaden Lewis was limited to eight points and committed five turnovers as Villanova struggled against St. John’s pressure defense. The team also suffered a setback in the second half when forward Matt Hodge exited after an apparent leg injury.
The Wildcats fell to 22-7 overall and 13-5 in conference play, likely locking them into a third-place finish in the Big East standings.
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The dominant win keeps St. John’s firmly in the hunt for the conference title, sitting just half a game behind the top spot. With momentum building and confidence growing, the Red Storm are positioning themselves strongly for both the Big East Tournament and the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
For Villanova, the focus now shifts to finishing the regular season strong and regaining form before postseason play begins. Meanwhile, Ejiofor’s historic night stands out as one of the defining performances of the Big East season and a major boost for St. John’s championship hopes.
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