13-02-2025
Villanova edges No. 9 St. John's 73-71 to stop Red Storm's winning streak
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Tyler Perkins hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 8 seconds remaining and Villanova defeated No. 9 St. John's 73-71 on Wednesday night, ending the Red Storm's 10-game winning streak.
Wooga Poplar scored 22 points and Eric Dixon added 17 in a critical victory for the Wildcats (15-10, 8-6 Big East), who have won three in a row.
Aaron Scott led four players in double figures with 22 points for the Red Storm (21-4, 12-2), who lead the Big East by one game over No. 24 Creighton. The teams meet Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Kadary Richmond had 17 points and 10 assists for St. John's. Simeon Wilcher and RJ Luis Jr. scored 12 apiece.
Off to its best start in 40 years, St. John's was playing its first regular-season game as a top-10 team in the AP Top 25 since Feb. 27, 1999, also a loss at Villanova.
St. John's scored 14 consecutive points, capped by Luis' dunk, to go ahead 62-59 with 6:22 left.
Takeaways
St. John's: Chasing the program's first Big East regular-season title since 1992, the Red Storm remain in good position to earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Villanova: Trying to make a March Madness push, the Wildcats get two more chances for quality wins in their next two games, at Providence and at UConn.
Key moments
Wilcher hit a 3 that gave St. John's a 71-70 lead with 27.3 seconds left, but Perkins connected from right in front of the Wildcats' bench to put them back in front. Wilcher then missed a 3-point attempt just before the buzzer.
Key stat
St. John's shot 11 for 37 (30%) from 3-point range, 10 more attempts than its previous season high. The Red Storm entered shooting 29% from beyond the arc.
Up next
St. John's: Will host Creighton on Sunday with first place in the Big East standings at stake. St. John's lost 57-56 at Creighton on New Year's Eve before beginning its 10-game winning streak.
Villanova: Plays at Providence on Saturday.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 all season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: and
