Add another memorable moment to Zuby Ejiofor’s fantastic St. John’s career.
After Wednesday’s ugly loss at Connecticut, he put it on himself to make sure the 15th-ranked Johnnies were ready to go against Villanova.
Then, he produced the fifth St. John’s triple-double since 1985-86, leading the No. 15 Red Storm to an empathic 89-57 blowout of Villanova at a sold-out Garden.
Ejiofor had 16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks in St. John’s biggest margin of victory over the Wildcats in school history.
“Coach [Rick Pitino] pulled me aside and told me about it, too. There was no way I was going to forget,” Ejiofor said. “The last two possessions, I was just playing in the flow of the offense, and spraying it out. … It was a really special moment.”
When Ejiofor recorded his 10th and final assist on a Joson Sanon jumper with 3:12 remaining, the crowd exploded into chants of “Zuuuuby.” The other St. John’s players to have notched a triple-double in the last 40 years are Mark Jackson, David Cain, Metta World Peace — known then as Ron Artest — and Kadary Richmond last March.
Up next for St. John’s is Georgetown on Tuesday back at MSG. It will be Ejiofor’s senior day and figures to be an emotional night.
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“I’m going to miss the hell out of him because I know I can count on him every single day,” Pitino said. “We really need to pack Madison Square Garden just to honor him, as well as the other guys.”
Pitino initially was going to pass on the white suit for the “white-out game” because of his disappointment with Wednesday’s lopsided loss at UConn.
He changed his mind after Friday’s media session, when it was suggested that not wearing the suit would show a lack of belief in St. John’s bouncing back.
“Actually, Roger [Rubin of Newsday] changed my mind,” Pitino said. “He said, ‘Do you think the fans will lose confidence [if you’re not wearing the suit]?’ Are you not confident now?’ I said, I didn’t look at it that way. I thought about it. And I said, you know what? I haven’t lost in it; let me do it. I think it was a major factor in the game.”
St. John’s is now 3-0 when Pitino wears the white suit.
Freshman guard Kelvin Odih (right leg soreness) remained out. … St. John’s 26 assists equaled its most in a Big East game since 1999.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
