As Rick Pitino said Friday, a lopsided loss sometimes can be better than a narrow one.
It can serve as a wake-up call and provide added motivation.
That seems to have been the case for St. John’s.
Zuby Ejiofor celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer shot during the first half of St. John’s 89-57 blowout win over Villanova at the Garden on Feb. 28, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Seventy-two hours after their ugly loss at Connecticut, the No. 15 Johnnies didn’t just pick themselves off the proverbial mat. With Pitino donning his white suit after some hesitation, St. John’s turned in arguably its best first half of the season. They rose together with a fury, taking out their frustrations on Villanova and cruising to an 89-57 victory at a sold-out Garden to remain tied atop the Big East with Connecticut in the loss column.
“The response is a lot more important [than the loss],” star senior Zuby Ejiofor said after St. John’s largest win ever over Villanova in program history and the Wildcats’ biggest margin of defeat since 1997. “That’s what [Pitino] was saying and that’s what I was saying as well. That’s what I was telling the guys. A championship-level team responds in a positive way, and I think that’s exactly what we did tonight.”
This was as thorough and overwhelming a performance as St. John’s has had this year, blowing away a tournament team with relative ease.
Ejiofor bounced back after getting badly outplayed on Wednesday with the first triple-double of his career, and the fifth known St. John’s one since 1985-86, notching 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, along with three blocks.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST BIG EAST STANDINGS AND ST. JOHN’S STATS
Ian Jackson turned in his best game of the year, 19 points, five rebounds and five steals off the bench. Oziyah Sellers added 14 points and the Johnnies held Villanova (22-7, 13-5) to a season-low in points and turned 16 turnovers into 29 points.
St. John’s also tallied a season-high 26 assists and shot 52.5 percent from the field.
Ian Jackson goes up for a shot during the first half of St. John’s blowout win over Villanova at the Garden. Robert Sabo for NY Post
It was the kind of bounce-back St. John’s (23-6, 16-2) had hoped for. The Red Storm entered Wednesday’s visit to Hartford, Conn., having won 13 straight games.
It went sideways early. Villanova coach Kevin Willard, who worked under Pitino with the Knicks and at Louisville for 10 years, had a pretty good idea St. John’s wouldn’t lay another egg, because of how his former boss operated following difficult losses.
“I’m not bull—-ting you. I don’t have hair because of him,” Willard cracked. “I had a full set of hair when I started working for him. Like, it’s the most miserable experience in life, like you fear for your life everyday. … As he’s gotten older, he’s probably become more of a cranky old bitch than he was.”
Dylan Darling shoots over Acaden Lewis during the first half of St. John’s blowout win over Villanova at the Garden. Robert Sabo for NY Post
After the Connecticut setback, Ejiofor said he had to do a better job making sure his team was ready for Saturday night. They certainly were, and he led the way. When Ejiofor tallied his 10th and final assist in the final minutes, the crowd exploded with chants of “Zuuuuby.”
“He was very well rested because he took a day off against Connecticut,” Pitino said jokingly.
Pitino couldn’t have scripted a better first half. St. John’s produced runs of 17-3 and 16-1.
The Red Storm made 14 of their first 22 shots from the field, had 15 assists and outscored Villanova in the paint, 22-6.
The only negative: Ejiofor fouled Bryce Lindsay on a 3 attempt in the final seconds, drawing Pitino’s ire. He wasn’t letting his foot off the gas, no matter how large the differential. Neither were his players.
“Sometimes, when you lose, [fans think] the world is coming to an end. No, it’s not,” Pitino said. “You saw what great players do when they have a bad loss. They bring it, and now they have a great win. Pure class, in my eyes.”
