After a close first half, St. John’s pulled away to hand Villanova its first loss in Big East play this year, 70-59.
The Wildcats started the game off hot, taking a quick 10-3 lead with 15:21 remaining in the first half. However, St. John’s defense was suffocating for the rest of the game, forcing the Wildcats to turn the ball over 17 times.
Leading the way for the Red Storm was Posh Alexander, as the impressive freshman had 16 points, six assists, and three steals. Supporting Alexander was Julian Champagnie, and while the Big East’s leading scorer had a quiet first half, he came alive late and nabbed 11 rebounds to go along with 14 points.