PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Dec. 20, 2024) – The St. John’s men’s basketball team (10-2, 2-0 BIG EAST) rallied all the way back from a 16-point deficit to earn its first win over Providence (7-6, 1-1 BIG EAST) at Amica Mutual Pavilion in seven years on Friday. Junior forward Zuby Ejiofor sank a floater at the buzzer to send the Red Storm home with a 72-70 victory over the Friars.

With the score tied at 70 and the clock winding down, Red Storm guard Deivon Smith’s pull-up jumper was off the mark with four seconds remaining. Ejiofor pulled down his sixth offensive rebound of the game and quickly heaved the ball to the rim for the game-winning bucket.

The victory marked St. John’s first inside Amica Mutual Pavilion since a 91-86 win on Jan. 25, 2017. The Johnnies scored 43 points in the second half to mount their largest comeback since erasing an 18-point deficit to down Seton Hall, 81-71, on March 6, 2021.

Ejiofor led four Johnnies in double figures with a 19-point, 10-rebound performance, marking his fifth double-double of the season. Smith and RJ Luis Jr. chipped in 17 and 16 points apiece in Friday’s road win. Kadary Richmond rounded out the Red Storm players in double figures with 10 points, five boards and three steals.

The lead changed seven times over the first six minutes of action before the Friars surged out to a 29-9 run to secure a 38-22 advantage with 3:39 remaining in the first half. Providence guard Bensley Joseph knocked down the Friars’ sixth 3-pointer of the opening frame to jumpstart nine consecutive points for Providence to take its 16-point advantage.

Ejiofor answered with five straight points before a baseline jumper from Smith pulled the Red Storm within 42-29 at the break. The Friars shot 63.0 percent (17-27 FG) in the opening half.

The momentum shifted in the Red Storm’s favor beginning with a 9-1 spurt that featured a pair of finishes through traffic by Ejiofor and two jumpers by Smith to pull within seven, 45-38, with 16:31 remaining.

St. John’s got a set of 3-pointers from Wilcher and Jaiden Glover to cut the deficit to five, 52-47. Then it was Luis who scored seven of the next nine points for the Red Storm, including a pair of acrobatic putbacks to make it a one-possession game, 58-56, with under at eight minutes to go. Ejiofor followed with a pair of free throws and a finish at the rim to give St. John’s its first lead, 60-58, since 14:24 of the opening stanza.

After a quick 5-0 spurt by the Friars, Smith crashed through the lane for back-to-back finishes to reclaim a one-point edge, 64-63, at the under-four media timeout.

With 2:19 to play, Richmond intercepted a cross-court pass and pushed it ahead to Luis who completed a three-point play to send St. John’s up, 67-63. After a made free-throw by Ejiofor to earn a five-point edge, Corey Floyd, Jr. sank four straight free throws to bring the Friars back within one, 68-67.

On the ensuing possession, Smith drove the lane and drained a floater to reclaim a three-point edge with 35 seconds to play. Providence’s Joseph responded with the team’s only 3-pointer of the second half to knot the game at 70 before the Red Storm’s game-winner.

St. John’s will return to action on Dec. 28 to wrap up non-conference play against Delaware inside Carnesecca Arena. Tip-off from Queens is slated for 6 p.m