INDIANAPOLIS (AP) –Beats Butler St. John’s is making history! RJ Luis Jr. dropped 24 points as the No. 7 Red Storm pulled off a 76-70 win over Butler on Wednesday night, securing a share of their first Big East regular-season title in 33 years.
Kadary Richmond added 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals, helping St. John’s (25-4, 16-2) set a new school record for conference wins. With one more victory over Seton Hall on Saturday—or a Creighton loss to Xavier—the Johnnies can claim the Big East title outright. The last time they won it solo? Back in 1985, when they made a Final Four run.
And if you ask their legendary 72-year-old coach Rick Pitino, sharing isn’t an option.
“We are not interested in sharing anything,” Pitino said. “I’ll share other things in my life. I’m not interested in sharing championships.”
Breaking Down the Game
Zuby Ejiofor put up 12 points as St. John’s played with their highest AP Top 25 ranking since 1991. This win was special, too—it comes in the same season the program lost Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca, who passed away in November at 99 years old.
Butler (13-15, 6-11) put up a fight, with Jahmyl Telfort leading the way with 13 points and seven rebounds. But the Bulldogs struggled to hit shots, going just 6-for-27 from deep (22%).
The Turning Point
With the Hinkle Fieldhouse crowd roaring, Ejiofor delivered a clutch left-handed hook shot over 7-foot-1 Butler center Andre Screen, pushing St. John’s lead to 70-66 with under a minute to go. Moments later, Butler turned it over, committed a foul, and the crowd started heading for the exits.
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Key Stats
- Rebounding Battle: Butler actually outrebounded St. John’s 39-32 but still got outscored 18-12 on second-chance points.
- Series Record: St. John’s has now won five straight games against Butler.
What’s Next?
- St. John’s: A big showdown at home against Seton Hall on Saturday, where they can win the Big East outright.
- Butler: A trip to Villanova to try to bounce back.
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