NEW YORK (AP) — Dillon Mitchell had 14 points and 13 rebounds as No. 25 St. John’s blew out Butler 92-70 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden for its seventh consecutive victory.
Ian Jackson scored 18 points and Zuby Ejiofor added 15 for the Red Storm (16-5, 9-1 Big East), who shot 56% from the field and never trailed in giving Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino his 901st career win.
Joson Sanon had 13 points off the bench, and Mitchell added four assists and three blocks. Ejiofor provided six rebounds, five assists and three blocks as the Johnnies won for the 12th time in 14 games to stay one behind first-place UConn in the conference standings.
St. John’s went 9 for 20 (45%) from 3-point range, committed only five turnovers and opened a 29-point lead late in the second half.
Michael Ajayi had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs (13-8, 4-6), who had won three straight following a four-game skid. Butler coach Thad Matta remained at 499 career wins.
St. John’s, which swept the regular-season series from the Bulldogs, has won eight meetings in a row and 11 of 12. The Red Storm’s winning streak began Jan. 6 with an 84-70 victory at Butler.
In a pregame ceremony, St. John’s honored the 73-year-old Pitino for reaching 900 wins Saturday at Xavier with a comeback victory over his son, Richard, the first-year coach of the Musketeers.
St. John’s, ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll, returned to the AP Top 25 on Monday for the first time since mid-December following comeback wins over Seton Hall and Xavier last week. In both games, the Red Storm trailed by at least 15 in the second half.
Up next
Butler hosts Georgetown on Saturday in their first meeting this season.
St. John’s visits DePaul next Tuesday night, after beating the Blue Demons 79-66 at Carnesecca Arena in their Big East opener Dec. 16.
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