Wildcats Stun No. 9 St. John’s in Thrilling Upset

VILLANOVA, PA. — The Villanova Wildcats pulled off a stunning upset against No. 9 St. John’s on Wednesday night at Finneran Pavilion, winning 73-71 thanks to late-game heroics from Tyler Perkins. The victory avenges an earlier 80-68 loss to the Red Storm this season.

In a tightly contested matchup, St. John's nearly took the game in the final minute, rallying from a double-digit deficit. Just 28 seconds left on the clock saw Simeon Wilcher sink a three-pointer, putting St. John’s ahead by one point. The Wildcats, however, executed a perfectly timed final possession. Wooga Poplar drove to the basket and found an open Jhamir Brickus, who then passed to Perkins. With the game on the line, Perkins nailed a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining.

“I felt good,” Perkins said following his decisive shot. “My teammates are putting me in position to be helpful. I’m just glad we got the win.” Perkins ended the night with 12 points, shooting 4-for-5 from three-point range, along with three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

The victory against St. John’s marks Villanova’s continued dominance at home this season, where they have defeated several ranked opponents. Coach Kyle Neptune expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, especially their ability to adapt during crucial moments of the game.

“We had a play set, but we said if they blitz it and are trapping, go make a play,” Neptune explained. “I thought about calling a timeout, but it was better being a broken play.”

The game was intense from start to finish. Villanova took control early, going on a 7-0 run late in the first half to establish a 34-24 lead. However, St. John’s responded with a surge of their own, closing the half with Lefteris Liotopoulos’ three-pointer to trail by just two points at halftime.

As the second half commenced, St. John’s managed to briefly grab the lead, but Villanova countered with an 8-0 run, primarily through three-pointers from Brickus and Perkins. Yet, St. John’s demonstrated their defensive prowess, launching a 14-0 run that placed them ahead again, 62-59.

Despite the ebb and flow of the lead, the Wildcats dug deep in the closing minutes. Perkins’ late three-pointer sealed the game, while Eric Dixon added critical threes to maintain Villanova’s momentum.

St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino acknowledged the heartbreak of the loss. “It wasn’t about missing shots or making shots,” he said. “(Villanova) made a lot of terrific shots with one second on the shot clock. Great game. Guys played their asses off.”

Villanova’s shooting was a significant factor in their victory, finishing 26-of-49 (53.1%) overall and 11-of-24 (45.8%) from beyond the arc. In contrast, St. John’s shot 27-of-61 (44.3%) but struggled from three-point territory with just 11-of-37 (29.7%).

The Wildcats now improve their record to 15-10 overall and will face Providence in their next game. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET at Amica Mutual Pavilion.