Fourteen hours after knocking Georgetown out of the Big East Tournament, St. John’s was unable to get anything going against Xavier, losing 88-60.
St. John’s struggled to establish their game in the first half. After dominating Georgetown in the paint in the first round, Xavier took control of the paint. The Musketeers outscored the Red Storm 16-6 in the lane in the first half.
To make matters worse, Tariq Owens and Bashir Ahmed had trouble staying on the floor, dealing with foul issues. Owens only got six minutes of action in the first half, and Ahmed got ten.