RJ Luis Jr. delivered a dominant performance with 23 points and 14 rebounds, leading No. 9 St. John’s to a 79-73 victory over No. 24 Creighton at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
With the win, the Red Storm (22-4, 13-2 Big East) extended their lead over Creighton (18-8, 11-4 Big East) by two games in the conference standings. A Creighton win would have given the Bluejays the head-to-head tiebreaker, but St. John’s held firm as it continues to chase its first regular-season title since 1986.
Game Highlights
St. John’s Key Performers
- RJ Luis Jr.: 23 points, 14 rebounds, 6-of-17 shooting, 10-of-13 free throws
- Kadary Richmond: 19 points, 10 rebounds
- Zuby Ejiofor: 18 points, 9 rebounds
Luis secured the win by sinking six crucial free throws in the final two minutes, giving St. John’s its 10th victory in the last 11 games.
Creighton’s Standout Players
- Steven Ashworth: 23 points
- Jamiya Neal: 19 points
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 12 points, limited mobility after injury
Creighton struggled from three-point range, shooting just 8 of 30 (26.7%), following a similar poor performance in its previous loss to UConn (7 of 24, 29.2%).
Key Moments
Creighton’s Late Rally: The Bluejays missed 11 straight shots but cut the deficit to 61-59 with 6:37 left after a tip-in by Jamiya Neal.
St. John’s Response: The Red Storm quickly answered with a three-pointer from Scott and a jumper from Luis, regaining control of the game.
Key Stats
- Free Throws: St. John’s shot 58.6% (17 of 29) from the foul line.
- Three-Point Shooting: Creighton struggled, going 26.7% (8 of 30) from beyond the arc.
- Rebounding Battle: St. John’s controlled the boards, with Luis and Richmond both grabbing double-digit rebounds.
Takeaways
Creighton:
- Poor three-point shooting hurt them again, just like in their loss to UConn.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner’s injury was a concern, though he returned late in the game.
- The team will need to regroup quickly to stay in the Big East race.
St. John’s:
- RJ Luis Jr. stepped up in the clutch, delivering his eighth double-double of the season.
- Deivon Smith returned after injury, playing 26 minutes and shooting 4 of 9 after missing the loss to Villanova last week.
- The Red Storm continue to push toward their first Big East regular-season title in nearly four decades.
What’s Next?
- Creighton: Hosts Georgetown next Sunday.
- St. John’s: Travels to face DePaul on Wednesday.
