Villanova stuns No. 9 St. John’s 73-71 on Wednesday night, earning its first Quadrant 1 win and snapping the Red Storm’s 10-game win streak.
BOX SCORE 📊: Final stats from St. John’s vs. Villanova
It was a rollercoaster in this Big East battle that featured 11 lead changes and eight ties. The Wildcats led 59-48 midway through the second half, but Rick Pitino’s squad stormed back, going on a 14-0 over the next three and a half minutes, quieting the home crowd.
But Finneran Pavilion was quickly reignited behind back-to-back 3-pointers from the nation’s leading scorer Eric Dixon. The 6-foot-8 forward struggled in the first half, but his 12 second-half points were pivotal in taking down a surging Red Storm team.
The conference rivals were neck-and-neck down the stretch, as Simeon Wilcher buried a go-ahead three for St. Johns with 28 seconds to play. On the ensuing possession, Villanova trailed 71-70, and instead of settling for a two-point look, Tyler Perkins pulled up from beyond the arc, cashing in a three-ball and setting Finneran Pavilion on fire with nine seconds to play.
Tyler Perkins with the answer for @NovaMBB!
What a game 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/bn8U23BbxF
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 13, 2025
The Red Storm had an opportunity to tie or win, but Wilcher’s second heroic attempt fell short as the clock ran out.
Villanova (15-10, 8-6 Big East) has now won three straight, and Kyle Neptune’s squad will continue its late-season push on the road against Providence on Saturday. St. John’s (21-4, 12-2 Big East) maintains its top spot in the conference, but Creighton now sits just one game back. The Red Storm take on the Bluejays this Sunday in what will be must-watch TV for Big East fanatics.
