St. John’s Dominates Butler in Big East Quarterfinals

NEW YORK (AP) — St. John’s University secured a commanding 78-57 victory over Butler University in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, advancing to the semifinals against Marquette.

The top-seeded Red Storm (28-4) faced a strong challenge in the ninth-seeded Bulldogs (14-19), but managed to assert their dominance from the opening tip. Notably, St. John’s had previously faced Butler in two close contests during the regular season, winning by narrow margins in both instances.

“We had two close games,” said St. John’s forward Aaron Scott. “We didn’t want this game to be close at all.” St. John’s initiated the game with an early lead and maintained control with an aggressive defense that disoriented Butler’s rhythm.

The Red Storm’s defensive efforts were apparent, as they held Butler to just 34.5% shooting (19-of-55) and forced 15 turnovers that translated into 24 points. Additionally, St. John’s dominated the boards, out-rebounding Butler 44-34, including 14 offensive rebounds.

“We focused on blocking out,” head coach Rick Pitino remarked. “Our point guards did not block out in the last game off rotations. We wanted to get out in transition and make good plays, because they go to the glass hard.”

St. John’s guard RJ Luis Jr. led all scorers with 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He also played a pivotal role in limiting Butler star Pierre Brooks II, who managed just five points on 1-of-10 shooting.

“We came out very focused,” said Luis, who has now scored over 20 points in four straight games. “The guys are very locked in on the game plan. The last time we played against Butler, we were playing very slow, very to their tempo; this game we were able to pick up the tempo and play a lot faster.”

Alongside Luis, guard Kadary Richmond contributed 15 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Richmond previously made headlines for achieving a triple-double in the Red Storm’s earlier games, the first since former player Ron Artest in 1999.

Butler faced an early setback with Jahmyl Telfort, the Big East’s eighth-leading scorer, picking up two fouls within the first two minutes, subsequently relegating him to the bench. Upon Telfort’s return, Butler trailed 15-3, ultimately finishing the first half with a 37-26 deficit.

St. John’s, displaying remarkable efficiency, utilized a fast-paced strategy and their defensive prowess to maintain the pressure on Butler. The Red Storm even expanded their lead to 23 points with a score of 74-51 before finishing with a decisive 21-point margin.

“We did a lot of good things,” Pitino noted post-game. “We did a lot of things we need to get better at. But overall, it was a four-star performance, and we’ll take it.”

This victory enshrines St. John’s as a formidable force in the tournament, having recently claimed their first outright Big East regular-season championship since 1985. The Red Storm will face fifth-seeded Marquette on Friday, who narrowly defeated Xavier 89-87 in their quarterfinal game.

St. John’s has shown significant resilience throughout the season, currently on a seven-game winning streak. They are aiming for their first trip to the Big East Tournament final since 2000.