St. John’s fought hard to reach the semifinals in the Big East Tournament, but choked away a 17-point second half lead to Villanova, falling 66-65 in a hard-fought affair.
After reaching the quarterfinals for the sixth straight season, St. John’s looked to play on Friday night in the Big East Tournament for the first time since 2000. However, the Red Storm would have to beat Villanova — the class of the Big East — who had swept the Johnnies in the regular season series.
For a majority of the first half, Villanova dictated the style of the game by establishing a lethargic and unhurried pace.