St. John’s basketball continued its surge Tuesday night as the Red Storm’s Big East momentum held firm on the road. Facing a challenging environment, the team delivered the type of response head coach Rick Pitino has come to expect.
The Red Storm took down the DePaul Blue Demons 68–56 on the road at Wintrust Arena, improving to 17–5 overall and 10–1 in conference play. The win extended St. John’s streak to eight straight and preserved its unblemished road record this season.
The contest opened sluggishly for both teams. St. John’s entered halftime clinging to a narrow 29–28 lead after an uneven offensive first half. DePaul fed off the energy of Rod Strickland Night, creating a charged atmosphere that tested the Red Storm’s composure.
St. John’s adjusted quickly after the break. The Red Storm opened the second half with a decisive 16–2 run, fueled by defensive pressure and sharper ball movement. DePaul went scoreless for nearly six minutes as turnovers mounted and St. John’s seized control.
Zuby Ejiofor led the effort with 16 points and nine rebounds while reaching the 1,000-point milestone of his collegiate career. Bryce Hopkins added 15 points, and Oziyah Sellers chipped in 13 to help St. John’s pull away down the stretch.
The New York Post’s Zach Braziller shared postgame comments from the two-time national champion coach on X (formerly known as Twitter), relaying Pitino’s perspective on why the win mattered beyond the final score.
“This was a tremendous win for us, because this was a very, very difficult game to play.”
The victory carried added significance for Pitino, marking the 902nd win of his Hall of Fame coaching career. More importantly, it protected St. John’s resume from a potentially damaging road loss.
With a marquee matchup against the 22–1 UConn Huskies on deck at Madison Square Garden, St. John’s leaves Chicago battle-tested and confident. Pitino’s praise reflected effort, discipline, and growth as February pressure begins to rise and conference stakes continue to intensify nationally.
