In a battle of two teams that feature strong backcourt play, it would be the experienced guards of the Musketeers that would reign victorious over the young guns of the Red Storm. Xavier grabbed the lead from opening tip and never gave it away to the Johnnies, going on to win 82-77. Regardless, St. John’s did not go down without a fight.
"Definitely, thought back,” St. John’s freshman guard Shamorie Ponds said. "We should have started the first half the way we closed the game."
After falling behind by 15, eventually the Red Storm seemed to have been making a comeback.