The Red Storm had their worst shooting performance of the season at the worst possible time
The greatest season of Red Storm men’s basketball in 25 years ended with a whimper on Saturday afternoon.
Second-seed St. John’s fell to ten-seed Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by a score of 75-66. The Johnnies had their worst shooting performance of the season at the least optimal time, shooting 28.0% from the floor and nine percent from three (2-of-22), which was too much for them to overcome even after holding the Razorbacks to 42.9% shooting and only 2-of-19 from deep.
It was simply not RJ Luis Jr.’s day as the Big East Player of the Year scored nine points and shot 3-of-17 from the floor. Despite being the Red Storm’s best player all season, Luis was benched for the final 4:56 of game action when Arkansas held a slim 64-62 lead, not given a chance to redeem himself and help the Red Storm win what was a one-possession game when he sat.
St. John’s again struggled early, falling behind by eight points in the second half, but went on an 18-6 scoring run to take a 32-28 lead with 2:38 left in the first half, but Arkansas responded with a 7-0 run to hold a three-point lead at halftime.
The big second-half run St. John’s usually sparked never came. Arkansas used their physicality and athleticism to cut holes through the Red Storm’s once-sturdy paint defense. The Razorbacks took a 13-point lead with 11:32 remaining after a Johnell Davis layup, providing enough separation to hold off the frigid Johnnies.
Zuby Ejiofor and Deivon Smith gave it their all to bring a comeback attempt into existence; with Ejiofor posting a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double and Smith scoring 13 points off the bench, the Red Storm’s magic ran out.
St. John’s finishes the 2024-25 season with a 31-5 overall record, champions of the Big East regular season and the Big East Tournament, and ended a 25-year NCAA Tournament win drought after defeating Omaha in the First Round on Thursday.