St. John's University (N.Y.) delivered a strong performance on the road, defeating DePaul 68-56 at Wintrust Arena. The Red Storm's victory was fueled by a balanced attack, with three players scoring in double figures. Zuby Ejiofor led the way with 16 points and 9 rebounds, while Bryce Hopkins added 15 points and 6 rebounds, and Oziyah Sellers chipped in with 13 points.
DePaul, meanwhile, struggled to find consistency on offense, with Layden Blocker being the lone bright spot. Blocker finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Red Storm's stifling defense. CJ Gunn and RJ Smith each added 9 points for the Blue Demons, but the team's offense was unable to find a rhythm.
The game was closely contested in the first half, with St. John's taking a narrow 29-28 lead into the break. However, the Red Storm came out strong in the second half, outscoring DePaul 39-28 to pull away for the 12-point win. The victory was a convincing one for St. John's, and it marked a strong road win for a team looking to build its NCAA tournament resume.
CHD Scout Report Card
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Final
CHD Scout had predicted a St. John's win by 5.3 points, and the Red Storm exceeded those expectations with their 12-point margin of victory. The win was a reflection of St. John's depth and balance, as well as its ability to perform on the road against a quality opponent.
For DePaul, the loss was a tough one, as it marked a missed opportunity to secure a Quadrant 1 win. The Blue Demons had been hoping to use the game as a chance to boost their tournament chances, but instead, they were left to ponder what might have been. The loss drops DePaul to 12-11 on the season, and it must regroup quickly in order to stay in the hunt for a postseason berth.
The win was a Quadrant 2 victory for St. John's, which improves to 17-5 on the season. The Red Storm's strong performance will likely keep them firmly in the tournament picture, and they want to build on this momentum as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. With their balanced attack and stifling defense, St. John's is a team to watch in the Big East, and this win over DePaul only adds to their growing resume.