St. John's advances to Big East title game with 78-68 win over Seton Hall | amNewYork

"The Red Storm set the tone early with a strong performance on both ends of the floor, jumping out to an 8-0 run in the first four minutes. The Pirates continued to bounce back, leaning on their physical defense while the Johnnies continued to push the pace in transition. At one point, Seton Hall managed to cut the deficit to just one point, but Mitchell responded with a timely goal."

"After head coach Rick Pitino said Eijofor did not play his best in the quarterfinals, the Big East Player of the Year followed that up with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting to lead all scorers on Friday night. Throughout the stretch, the Pirates continued to leave Ejiofor open in the paint, allowing him to capitalize with easy layups."

St. John's Red Storm secured a commanding 78-68 victory over Seton Hall Pirates in the Big East Tournament semifinal at Madison Square Garden, advancing to the championship game on March 14. The top-seeded Johnnies dominated with multiple strong individual performances. Zuby Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year, led all scorers with 20 points on efficient 8-of-14 shooting after head coach Rick Pitino noted he underperformed in the quarterfinals. Dillon Mitchell contributed 13 points, while Joson Sanon also played a defining role. St. John's controlled both ends of the floor early, jumping to an 8-0 run within the first four minutes. Despite Seton Hall's physical defense and attempts to cut the deficit to one point, the Red Storm maintained their advantage throughout the game.

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