NEW YORK (AP) — Zuby Ejiofor had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double, and No. 15 St. John’s bounced back from an embarrassing loss by blitzing Villanova 89-57 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Ian Jackson added 19 points and a career-high five steals off the bench for the Red Storm (23-6, 16-2 Big East), who raced to a 30-point lead in the first half and remained a half-game behind No. 6 UConn atop the conference standings.
Villanova set a season low for points in its most-lopsided defeat since a 93-56 blowout in February 1997 at No. 3 Kentucky, coached then by current St. John’s coach Rick Pitino.
Oziyah Sellers scored 14 in the Johnnies’ largest victory over Villanova, their most frequent opponent. St. John’s leads 68-67 in a series that dates to the 1909-1910 season.
Ejiofor, who also blocked three shots, delivered the fifth triple-double by a St. John’s player since the 1985-86 season, the school said. It was the second in the past 26 years, after Kadary Richmond had one in the regular-season finale last year at Marquette.
On the sideline, the 73-year-old Pitino again channeled Colonel Sanders in his all-white suit and shoes as St. John’s encouraged fans to wear white for its annual “White Out” game.
St. John’s was coming off a 72-40 loss Wednesday night at rival UConn, where the Red Storm shot 20% and missed their last 24 field-goal attempts over the final 17:27 in by far their largest defeat in three seasons under Pitino.
That ended a 13-game winning streak — the longest for the program in 41 years.
Duke Brennan scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half for the Wildcats (22-7, 13-5), who had won seven of eight. They will be the No. 3 seed in the Big East Tournament.
Villanova lost starting forward Matt Hodge to a right leg injury early in the second half. After the game, coach Kevin Willard said he had no update yet.
Up next
Villanova visits DePaul on Wednesday night looking to sweep the regular-season series.
St. John’s hosts Georgetown on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in its final home game of the regular season, after winning their first matchup 95-83 on New Year’s Eve.
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