In an ugly and physical that St. John’s probably needed to win, the Red Storm fell, 75-69.
Villanova’s game plan coming in was to allow St. John’s to shoot from deep and pummel anyone that came into the paint. For long stretches in the first half, the Red Storm took what Villanova game them and let the ball fly from beyond the arc with little success. St. John’s was 4 of 14 from three, which would have been worse if Julian Champagnie and Aaron Wheeler did not knock down a pair of threes in the final four minutes.