I made the trip to the world’s most famous arena to watch the St. John’s Red Storm take on the Providence Friars, and this one was a tough pill to swallow if you’re a Johnnie fan. St. John’s came into the game 9–4 overall and unbeaten at 2–0 in Big East play. On paper, they looked comfortable, but I’m sure Rick Pitino would tell you this team still hasn’t fully unlocked its potential.
St. John’s was coming off a 95–83 New Year’s Eve win at Georgetown, and Zuby Ejiofor clearly carried that momentum into the Garden. After a relatively quiet December, he re-established himself as the leader of this team. From the opening tip, he was everywhere.
The game started off tightly contested, with both teams feeling each other out. Ejiofor kept the Johnnies afloat in the first half, putting up 16 points and 10 rebounds, doing the dirty work inside while St. John’s searched for consistency elsewhere. Providence made a push late in the half and briefly took the lead, but both teams understood this was going to be a game of runs. St. John’s responded by turning up the defensive intensity and went into the locker room up 38–31.
In the second half, Zuby was literally carrying the team on his back at times — forcing turnovers, blocking shots, and doing whatever it took to will St. John’s to a win. The Red Storm built a nine-point lead, and it felt like they had control.
Then the momentum shifted.
Providence closed the game on a 22–7 run over the final six minutes, and suddenly everything changed. A huge four-point play by Stefan Vaaks brought the Friars right back, tying the game at 69 with two minutes left. From there, it just felt like Providence wanted it more. The energy flipped, the Garden crowd leaned their way, and St. John’s couldn’t stop the bleeding.
One final defensive stop sealed it, and Providence escaped the Garden with a hard-fought win.
After the game, Providence head coach Kim English praised his team for sticking to the game plan and being scrappy enough to be in position late. Rick Pitino, clearly disappointed, said his guys “just chose a bad time to have a bad game.”
Ejiofor led the way for St. John’s with 33 points, 15 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks, and he was the only Johnnie in double figures. Bryce Hopkins added nine points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks, while Lefteris Liotopoulos finished with seven points.
Providence got balanced production, with Jaylin Sellers and Jamir Jones scoring 15 points each, and Stefan Vaaks coming off the bench with 16 points, including four big threes.
This one hurts for St. John’s, especially at the Garden. But if this team really has another level to reach, games like this are the ones that should force it to come out.