Zuby Ejiofor finished a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double with a second-chance make in the paint as time expired, lifting visiting St. John’s to a 72-70 win over Providence in Big East action on Friday night.
The Red Storm (10-2, 2-0), who have won five in a row, overcame a 42-29 halftime deficit and earned the victory despite shooting 39.7 percent from the field and going only 11-of-26 from the foul line.
Deivon Smith had 17 points on 8-of-15 shooting and added four assists, while RJ Luis Jr. posted 16 points and Kadary Richmond 10 for St. John’s.
A frantic final 35 seconds saw Smith’s jumper following an out-of-bound entry give the visitors a 70-67 lead before Providence tied the game on a Bensley Joseph three with 20 ticks to go.
Joseph led the Friars (7-6, 1-1) with 17 points (12 in the first half), three 3-pointers, eight rebounds and a pair of assists. Providence has lost three of its last four.
Fourteen second-chance points and nine offensive rebounds after halftime were crucial for the Johnnies.
Providence got the first second-half basket from Anton Bonke inside, but Ejiofor’s three-point play punctuated a 7-0 St. John’s run that cut the buffer to eight.
Soon after, a Joseph layup got the Friars lead back to nine, and Ryan Mela hit a pair of clutch answering baskets to make it 56-49 with 10:49 to go before the visitors made their biggest push.
An 11-2 spurt in 3:10 flipped the score for the first time since 16-15, bookended by a Luis putback falling away, Ejiofor’s two free throws and a second-chance layup.
After a Wesley Cardet three-point play and two Jayden Pierre free throws gave Providence a 63-60 lead with 5:24 left, St. John’s pushed with an 8-0 spurt that featured a Luis three-point play on which Pierre committed a flagrant foul.
Floyd made two sets of free throws to bring the hosts back within 68-67 with 1:37 left.
A back-and-forth opening segment saw the visitors take a 13-9 lead, a stretch finished with Deivon Smith’s left-wing 3-pointer.
Treys from Joseph and Pierre in a 30-second span brought the game back Providence’s way at the 14:50 mark, and after a Luis jumper on the ensuing possession, a quick 7-0 run helped it take control of the half. Rich Barron’s corner triple highlighted the stretch.
The Red Storm got as close as 29-22 on Aaron Scott’s jumper with 7:51 left before Joseph and Cardet teamed for a 9-0 run. A Joseph triple and up-and-under driving layup started the spurt.
A 7-4 St. John’s run closed the half.
–Field Level Media
