NEW YORK — No. 12 St. John’s ran its winning streak to nine games, its longest against solely Big East competition since its 1984-85 Final Four season, beating No. 11 Marquette 70-64 on Tuesday night.
Next up for Rick Pitino’s first-place Red Storm (20-3, 11-1) is another top-20 matchup Friday at two-time defending national champion and No. 19 UConn. The Golden Eagles (18-5, 9-3) dropped a second straight game after falling at home to UConn on Saturday.
Chase Ross scored 16 points to lead Marquette and Kam Jones had 15, playing through foul trouble for most of the game.
“I thought they played with incredible violence,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. “Just the more aggressive team for the majority of the game.”
In the first top-15 matchup St. John’s hosted at Madison Square Garden since the 1998-99 season, Kadary Richmond was again the catalyst for the Red Storm with 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Richmond was coming off his best game of the season. The Seton Hall transfer had 24 points, including the game-winning jumper with 4 seconds left, to go with eight rebounds and eight assists against Providence on Saturday. That game drew a near-sellout crowd of more than 19,000 to the Garden. This weeknight game drew “only” 16,521 — including St. John’s mega-booster Mike Repole, who pushed the school to hire Pitino in 2023, sitting courtside — but the fans were chanting “We want UConn” as the clock wound down.
“I’m having a blast coaching these guys and having a blast seeing the Garden explode like this,” Pitino said.
As for the “We want UConn” chants, Pitino said: “They were drunk.”
The crowd LOVED this one 🤩 @StJohnsBball pic.twitter.com/KrDvKr3BMX
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 5, 2025
For Pitino, in his second season back in the Big East with St. John’s, the 20-win season is the 29th of his near four decades long college coaching career. The Johnnies look like a lock to snap their five-year NCAA Tournament drought under the 72-year-old Hall of Famer.
“I’m so proud of this damn team,” Pitino said.
The Red Storm way
St. John’s made only three 3-pointers and missed 14 of 31 free throws, but defense and rebounding led the way — just the way Pitino likes it.
The Red Storm grabbed 21 offensive rebounds and outrebounded the Golden Eagles 50-28 overall.
While they shot only 41.7 percent from the field, the Red Storm kept attacking the basket.
“They do a terrific job of playing to their strengths,” Smart said.
Pitino laid into his team after the Providence game for lackadaisical defense in the second half as the Red Storm relinquished a 19-point lead before Richmond’s late-game heroics.
“It’s exciting to see my team win in a good ol’ fashioned way, which is just good ol’ hard work,” Pitino said.
Smith rounding into form
St. John’s guard Deivon Smith, in his second game back since missing time with a right shoulder injury, went 3-for-10 from the floor, including a driving layup with 4:43 left that made it 60-57, and scored eight points.
The Utah transfer shot 1 for 10 against Providence on Saturday, though he contributed six assists and three steals in 28 minutes. Smith again came off the bench against Marquette. He played 27 minutes and had five rebounds.
Without Smith, the 6-foot-6 Richmond was facilitating the offense and playing some of his best ball of the season.
If there is another level for St. John’s to reach this season, it likely involves Smith and Richmond playing well together, giving the Red Storm two players who can break down a defense off the dribble and create shots for teammates.
Required reading
(Photo: Wendell Cruz / Imagn Images)
