St. John’s and Butler both ended two-game losing streaks on Wednesday with double-digit wins.
St. John’s welcomed back Shamorie Ponds from a one-game absence due to a back strain and defeated visiting Creighton 81-66. Ponds scored a game-high 22 points and Mustapha Heron added 18 points. The Johnnies (15-3, 3-3) pulled away in the second half after leading 39-34 at halftime. Creighton (10-8, 1-4) went into the game ranked second nationally in 3-point shooting, but made only 11-of-35 from beyond the arc. Freshman Marcus Zegarowski scored a team-high 17 points and Martin Krampelj contributed 14 points and nine rebounds.