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Zuby Ejiofor Elevates Red Storm Over Nova in Bounce-back Win

BQE Admin on March 3, 2026

St. John’s captain records first ever triple-double to blow out the visiting Wildcats

Zuby Ejiofor recorded his first ever competitive triple-double, becoming the fourth known member of St. John’s to do so. He follows Kadary Richmond’s 2025 performance, Ron Artest’s in 1999, and David Cain’s in the 1993 NCAA Tournament. (Photos by Noah Zimmerman)

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

It was wire to wire dominance for the UConn Huskies in Hartford, Connecticut last Wednesday night. After falling at Madison Square Garden a few weeks ago, the #6 team in the nation blew out the #15 ranked St. John’s Red Storm, 72-40.

For the visiting Johnnies it was by far their worst shooting performance of the season. Their 40 points were the lowest scored by either team in a Red Storm game this year. It also marked the least points ever scored by a Rick Pitino-coached team.

Joson Sanon was the only Johnnie in double figures, scoring 10 points on 3/10 shooting. The Red Storm hit just 25% of their perimeter shots and 20% of their field goal attempts. 

In the second half they only converted two field goal attempts, missing their last 24 and only scoring 14 total points. The missed-FG streak is the longest in Division 1 and the worst stretch for any nationally ranked or BIG EAST team in eight years.

“All I know is we didn’t play good offense,” said Pitino after the game. “We did things that we’ve never done. And again, that’s something I got to question about myself, and I will question it because the team did not do the things we’ve done in the last 13 games. Give [UConn] credit. We’ll move on.”

“I’ve never been through that experience,” said Zuby Ejiofor when asked to describe what happened on Wednesday night. “This loss is one that you really want to forget and move on to the next opponent because Villanova is a great team as well. Championship-level teams respond in a positive way, and my job is to make sure that we are a lot more prepared for the next opponent than we were tonight.”

St. John’s were more than prepared as they opened an early 11-2 lead against the Wildcats on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. The lead ballooned as large as 30 points in the first half, punctuated by a series of invigorating dunks.

Ian Jackson had five steals against Nova, setting a career high. He took one all the way to the bucket with an emphatic windmill jam.

All over the ball on the defensive end was Ian Jackson, who amassed an impressive three first half steals en route to a career-best five. His transition dunk was the cherry on top; an emphatic windmill slam that brought the raucous MSG crowd to their feet. Jackson scored 19, one of his best nights as a Johnnie.

Things didn’t get much easier for Villanova in the second half. Freshman forward Matt Hodge went down with an injury later confirmed to be a season-ending ACL tear, and despite his teammates coming to life and briefly cutting the deficit to 20 points, the Red Storm maintained a comfortable advantage.

In the waning moments of the matchup, Zuby Ejiofor put the finishing touches on a dominant night. With just over three minutes to go he found Joson Sanon for a midrange jumper, tallying his 10th assist.

Zuby knocks down a deep jumper against Villanova. He was firing on all cylinders, dominating on offense and defense.

The MSG crowd roared once more as Ejiofor celebrated his first ever competitive triple-double. The Red Storm captain scored 16 points with 12 rebounds to go with his career-high in assists, also picking up three blocks and a steal on the defensive end.

Zuby’s triple-double marks just the fourth in St. John’s history. He followed Kadary Richmond’s 2025 performance, Ron Artest’s in 1999, and David Cain’s in the 1993 NCAA Tournament.

On the same day as Zuby’s, Richmond picked up his first professional triple-double with the Capital City Go-Go in the NBA G League. Another senior from last year’s Red Storm squad, Deivon Smith, recorded his own the following day for the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors.

Rick Pitino brought out the white suit for Saturday night’s contest. It delighted the sold-out MSG crowd, who gave him a standing ovation.

The Red Storm out-assisted Villanova 26-11 and out-rebounded them 40-26. It was complete dominance and a much-needed bounce back win as St. John’s heads into their season finale this Friday night in New Jersey.

Following an emotional senior night on Tuesday against Georgetown, all that’s left to decide the BIG EAST regular season championship is the Red Storm’s contest against the Seton Hall Pirates and UConn’s matchup with last place Marquette.

If UConn and St. John’s finish tied, the Red Storm will likely claim the top seed for the BIG EAST Tournament due to their sweep against Creighton. The tournament runs from March 11 to the 14 at Madison Square Garden.

On Mondayís AP College Basketball Rankings the Red Storm slid to #18, with UConn back up to #4. Villanova is also receiving votes and should appear in the NCAA Tournament later this month.

Streak Hits 13 as Red Storm Take Over BIG EAST Lead

BQE Admin on February 24, 2026

Regular Season nears finale as Johnnies beat Marquette and Creighton, rise to #15

It was a Red Storm rampage from start to finish on Saturday afternoon. Their win over Creighton was the largest in BIG EAST play at Madison Square Garden since 1992! (Photos by Noah Zimmerman)

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The Red Storm surged into first place outright in the BIG EAST last week following a win on the road against the Marquette Golden Eagles and a UConn loss to Creighton. St. John’s would go on to thank Creighton with a blowout win over the weekend, downing the Bluejays 81 to 52.

It wasn’t pretty but the Red Storm did enough to dispatch the bottom-dwelling Golden Eagles. Despite blowing a sizable lead around halftime, St. John’s were able to lock in late to claim a 76-70 win.

Bryce Hopkins led St. John’s scorers with 23 points, also pulling down ten boards for a double-double. He didn’t get much help as only Oziyah Sellers and Zuby Ejiofor scored in double figures. Dillon Mitchell and Dylan Darling were both held scoreless, though they led the team in assists with four and five, respectively.

On Saturday afternoon, the Red Storm looked for a much more decisive result. They opened play against Creighton with an 8-0 run, holding a ten-point advantage for most of the opening frame.

It was Johnnies Day at the Garden, and fans were in high spirits with their red shirts and signs. The Red Storm fans were invigorated by a Darling steal and Ejiofor dunk, re-establishing a double-digit lead after a pair of Fedor Zugic threes cut the lead to six.

Zuby Ejiofor has been remarkable all season as he chases a BIG EAST Player of the Year award. He hopes to follow last year’s teammate RJ Luis Jr. in winning the award.

By the end of the first half, St. John’s were firmly in control, 42-27. In the second frame, the Red Storm began to really pull away.

It didn’t take long until the lead was up to 30 points, growing as large as 33 in the final minutes of action. There was no path back into the game for the Bluejays as St. John’s finished off their biggest conference win at MSG since 1992, when they took down the #6 UConn Huskies.

A pair of 15-point performances by Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins led the way for St. John’s starters but it was another stellar game from Dylan Darling to lead the way for the Red Storm. Darling scored 17 points on 5/7 shooting, also picking up a game-high three steals.

Bryce Hopkins has turned his season around, especially in the last few games since a heated exchange in Providence.

For Creighton, no Bluejay scored more than Zugic’s 9 (3/5 from three). They were handily out-assisted and out-rebounded by St. John’s and matched their season worst with 18 turnovers.

With the win, St. John’s improved to 15-1 in the BIG EAST and 22-5 overall. On Monday they continued to ascend the AP College Basketball rankings, moving to #15. It’s their highest mark since they were ranked #14 in November.

Dylan Darling has been spectacular during the Red Storm winning streak. He filled the bucket off the bench against the Bluejays.

Wednesday night’s battle in Connecticut could prove to be a decisive one with just three games remaining in regular season play. The Red Storm have all but clinched a top seed and bye for the start of the BIG EAST tournament, but there’s still work to be done to see out a phenomenal finish to the season.

On Saturday night the Red Storm will take on Villanova at Madison Square Garden, their final big matchup of the season. The Wildcats have been on the cusp of the Top-25 for a good portion of the season, also playing the Johnnies well despite an 86-79 loss in Pennsylvania earlier this year.

The final home game of the regular season is next Tuesday, March 3. St. John’s and the Georgetown Hoyas will start at 7pm. The season finale will tip-off across the Hudson River when the Red Storm visit the Seton Hall Pirates on Friday, March 6.

Johnnies Down Bluejays

BQE Admin on January 15, 2026

Best shooting night of the year gives the Red Storm a big road win over Creighton

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The St. John’s Red Storm picked up vital BIG EAST wins on the road last week, defeating the Butler Bulldogs in Indianapolis before taking down the Creighton Bluejays in Omaha. Coming off a brutal loss to Providence, Rick Pitino and his team are looking to reestablish themselves and catch fire for an important stretch of conference play.

The win in Nebraska was done by way of aerial assault, playmaking, and rebounding. The Red Storm knocked down 12 threes and won both the assist and rebounding battles.

Seven of the St. John’s three-pointers came off the bench, with Lefteris Liotopoulos shooting 5/8 from downtown and Dylan Darling hitting 2/4. The Red Storm finished with 52.2% shooting from deep, by far their best mark in what’s been a relatively rough season from the floor.

For Liotopoulos, the past few BIG EAST matchups have been a good opportunity to earn important minutes in the rotation. The Sophomore out of Greece recorded his second double-digit scoring performance of the year on January 6 at Butler (10 points, matching Dec. 13 vs Iona) before using his sharpshooting to set a career high with 17 against the Bluejays in Omaha.

The back-to-back conference wins are just the beginning if St. John’s wants to steady a rocking ship. The #4 UConn Huskies are going to be very difficult to catch, already 6-0 in BIG EAST play and in order to secure a tournament bid they’ll need to finish near the top of a competitive conference.

Following Tuesday’s matchup with Marquette the next two contests for the Red Storm are on the road against 2nd place Villanova on Saturday and next Tuesday at MSG against 3rd place Seton Hall, who broke into the nation’s Top 25 this week.

“After the loss [to Providence] we gathered together and said, ‘we’re not going to lose anymore,’” said Liotopoulos following the win over Creighton. “We were great in practice, aggressive with a lot of energy and that translated on the court.”

The goal is set, and now it’s time for the Red Storm to deliver. Can they start the transformation of MSG back into the fortress it was last season, and can they do it in emphatic fashion against the rival Pirates?

Johnnies Beat Iona at The Garden

BQE Admin on December 19, 2025

Pitino Downs Former School, Zuby Block Party Continues, & Jackson Gets Start

Zuby Ejiofor leaps for the opening tip against Ole Miss just a week before the Iona matchup. The Red Storm big man recorded 8 blocks in each of the two games.

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

Rick Pitino vanquished his former team on Saturday afternoon as the St. John’s Red Storm took down the Iona Gaels at Madison Square Garden, 91-64. Pitino spent three seasons in New Rochelle, leading the Gaels to two MAAC regular season titles, two conference championships, and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. The win over Iona marked Pitino’s 20th over teams he had previously coached.

“Iona is such a special place because every coach that coaches there wins. Kevil Willard started there, I certainly was rejuvenated there,” Pitino said about his former school.

Even after another slow start (this time missing 12 of their first 13 field goal attempts, St. John’s were able to outscore the Gaels 36-26 in the opening half before pulling away in the second frame.

Scoring for St. John’s was led by Oziyah Sellers with 19, though 16 of them came in the 2nd half. His strong performance led him to a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

Ian Jackson got the nod at guard over Dylan Darling for the Red Storm. It was the Sophomore transfer’s first start since the opening game of the season against Quinnipiac, and he put up a solid 14 points with 5 rebounds and a joint-team-high 3 assists. Jackson made a change of his own, chopping off his iconic hair, leading to some amusing comments by his teammates and coach.

Zuby Ejiofor was the only SJU starter to record less than 13 points, but the Red Storm big man continued his tremendous work on the defensive end with 8 blocks for a 2nd straight game. Ejiofor also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in the winning effort. Led by Ejiofor, the Red Storm defense is finally starting to come around as a strong point.

“We realized we weren’t a very good defensive team. Last year’s team around Christmas time wasn’t a very good defensive team either and they became one of the great defensive teams in the nation,” Pitino said about their improved effort on that end of the floor. “I think we can get to that point, we just need to keep our turnovers down because you beat yourself when you turn the ball over.”

Defense isn’t the only spot where the Red Storm needs to improve. Their inability to start games hot and inconsistent shooting will be a difficult spot as the season enters conference play and eventually the BIG EAST Tournament and beyond. If they’re unable to find consistency on that end of the floor, there’s only so much the defense can do to see out big wins down the stretch.

Following Tuesday’s contest against De Paul the Red Storm is on the road to take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta. Tip off will be Saturday December 20 at 12:30pm. St. John’s comes back to Carnesecca Arena for their final game in Queens on Tuesday the 23 against Harvard.

St. John’s Opens BIG EAST Play with Pair of Wins

BQE Admin on December 23, 2024

Rick Pitino’s Red Storm improve to 10-2 with wins over DePaul and Providence

NOAH ZIMMERMAN

noah@queensledger.com

The St. John’s University Red Storm improved to 10-2 last Friday night as they capped off a pair of wins to open conference play in the BIG EAST, 89-61 over DePaul and a 72-70 victory in Rhode Island.

The Red Storm overcame a 16-point 1st half deficit in Providence, taking the lead with 4 minutes remaining in the 2nd half. A three from Bensley Joseph knotted the game up at 70 with 20 seconds remaining to keep the Friars in the game, but St. John’s carried the ball back down court with a chance to win.

Breakout Jr. Zuby Ejiofor pulled down an offensive rebound in the dying seconds, bailing out a miss by Sr. guard Deivon Smith. Ejiofor floated home the game-winner at the buzzer, leading St. John’s to victory with a game-high 19 points and 10 boards.

“Obviously, it was good to be on the good side of a buzzer beater and just win on the road,” said the forward following the game.

“Showing your toughness, fighting through adversity, coming back in the second half and taking care of business. Everybody can go home and enjoy Christmas.”

An extra gift for Ejiofor this holiday season is his third consecutive appearance on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll and 4th honor this season. He maintains a Division 1-leading 4.6 offensive rebounds, with the most recent setting up his game winning shot.

“My philosophy and Coach [Pitino] says every shot is essentially my rebound. I have pride in going and getting my team a second chance. That’s exactly what I did, find a way to get an offensive rebound and put it in the rim,” said Ejiofor.

Despite the early deficit in Providence, Coach Pitino ensured the Red Storm remained confident in the face of adversity.

“I told the guys in one timeout, ‘This is nothing. I’ve been down 30 points with 15:30 to go on the road. It’s nothing. You’re going to come back and win this game. Just be patient, take your time, one possession at a time.”

St. John’s head into their final non-conference matchup this Saturday as they host Delaware at Carnesecca Arena in Queens. The Red Storm return to BIG EAST play on December 31, wrapping up 2024 in Nebraska as they visit Creighton.

Breakout junior Zuby Ejiofor was celebrated following his game-winner in Providence (Photo from @stjohnsbball on Instagram)

 

The Red Storm poured onto the court to celebrate the buzzer-beater as they began BIG EAST play 2-0. (Photo from @stjohnsbball on Instagram)

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