St. John’s Final: Villanova passes by Red Storm 108-67

From the opening tip-off, Villanova controlled this contest. They would cruise by St. John’s 108-67. Villanova now advances to the Big East Tournament Semifinal. The winner of Seton Hall-Marquette awaits the Wildcats.

St. John’s looked tired to start this contest. Defensively they allowed Villanova to work the ball around very well. The Red Storm’s absence in passing lanes left open Wildcat shooters. As a unit, Villanova converted on 15 out of 29 three-point attempts. In addition, the Red Storm did a poor job getting back in transition. Numerous Wildcats had open layups on the break.

On top of that, Villanova was incredibly disciplined on the defensive end. They would only commit 7 fouls, while blocking 2 shots. Villanova picked up zero first half fouls.

Offensively, the Red Storm could not get much going. Villanova locked up the lane early on, forcing St. John’s to take difficult shots.

Villanova’s stifling zone defense kept St. John’s off balance for much of the contest. Marcus LoVett was the only effective Red Storm scorer. He concluded with 12 points, while shooting 55% from the field.

Overall, Villanova played like the superior team. Their defensive pressure and smooth passing made this contest look like a scrimmage. Heading into the NCAA Tournament, they looked poised to make another deep run.

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Guard Donte DiVincenzo had himself another big game against St. John’s. He tallied 25 points, while shooting 88% from the field. Big East Player of the Year Josh Hart did not go silent. His 15 points and 6 rebounds greatly aided Villanova.

Kris Jenkins also stood out for the Wildcats. He would finished with 24 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Outside of LoVett, Bashir Ahmed had a solid game for the Johnnies. He contributed with 12 points of his own.

Tariq Owens, Darien Williams, and Kassoum Yakwe finished with a combined 10 points, and 10 rebounds. Going into next year, St. John’s must get more consistent frontcourt play.

St. John’s has concluded their season following this loss to Villanova. Once again this season, the Johnnies struggled to consistently win. Regardless, many positives can be taken from this trying season.