St. John's basketball bounces back with 32-point beatdown of Villanova

"It was a good bounce back for our guys. They really got after it the right way. The tone was set early, turning eight Wildcat turnovers into 18 points before halftime. It was headlined by inspired defense from Ian Jackson, who registered three steals in the opening stanza and finished with 19 points, five rebounds, and five steals for the game."

"No. 15 St. John's (23-6, 16-2 Big East) completely flipped its fortune against the Wildcats, leading by as many as 30 points in the first half. Villanova got within 17 points, 55-38, midway through the second half but never had enough to get closer. The Johnnies opened things on an 11-2 run and later used a 33-7 run to blow the game open."

"Zuby Ejiofor registered the fourth known triple-double in program history with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in the 89-57 victory, which was its largest win ever over Villanova in its 135th meeting. Villanova (22-7, 13-5 Big East) shot just 25.9-percent from the floor in the first half while the Red Storm connected at a 57.6-percent rate, including five 3-pointers."

St. John's basketball delivered a dominant performance against Villanova, winning 89-57 in what coach Rick Pitino called the most important game of his tenure. Captain Zuby Ejiofor recorded the fourth triple-double in program history with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Red Storm controlled the game from the start, leading by as many as 30 points in the first half through inspired defense that forced eight turnovers into 18 first-half points. Ian Jackson contributed 19 points with five steals, while Villanova struggled offensively, shooting just 25.9 percent in the first half compared to St. John's 57.6 percent. The victory marked the largest defeat for Villanova since 1997 and positioned St. John's to compete for the Big East regular season title.

Read at Storm The Paint