St. John’s recovers from Baylor buzzer-beater, routs Virginia

By Jason Dimaio (@Jaydimaio)

NASSAU, Bahamas — Short memory. 

Less than 24 hours removed from one of the more gut-wrenching setbacks in recent years, that was the mindset St. John’s needed to carry into its matchup with Virginia Friday after blowing an 18-point lead and losing to Baylor at the buzzer the night before.

A short memory is indeed what the Johnnies had, establishing control of the game Friday from the start and never looking back en route to an 80-55 demolition of the Cavaliers after head coach Rick Pitino admitted he was unsure of how his team would respond from the heartbreak of Thursday night. Fortunately for the hall of fame architect, the Red Storm erased the sting of Jeremy Roach’s game-winning shot with a resounding performance more in line with its first four games, each of which was a double-digit win.

RJ Luis started the highlight-reel sequence by receiving a behind-the-back pass from Deivon Smith in transition that he turned into a 360 dunk to open the scoring and set the tone. The star junior would continue to wow the vocal St. John’s contingent with a posterizing dunk on Virginia's Elijah Saunders. And yet again, the duo of Smith and Luis connected on an alley-oop, Smith the recipient of what was

thought to be a shaky pass turned by Luis to what became a lasting impression of the evening.

“I’m not sure what he can't master,” Pitino said of Luis, who recorded his third double-double of the season, tallying 18 points and 10 rebounds. “He’s mastered every skill. I don’t know how much more he can do. I think he’s a top 10 player in the nation and a lock for the first round (of the NBA Draft).”

However, one of the bigger stories of the night came not from the resounding win, but from what had occurred prior to the opening tip as Zuby Ejiofor came out for pregame warmups. As St. John’s took the court for warmups, a loud “ZU-BY, ZU-BY” chant erupted from the stands as the Red Storm faithful showed the utmost love and respect to Ejiofor, who was noticeably upset Thursday after missing two key free throws that could have changed the outcome of the game against Baylor. The chants rained down the entire night, as Ejiofor was serenaded by the fans whenever the ball was in his hands. Sophomore guard Simeon Wilcher was oftentimes chanting along, jumping up and down and clapping with the crowd. Although Ejiofor only managed eight points and nine rebounds, the junior forward was the most efficient player on the floor, measuring a plus-34 on a night where he displayed his immense gratitude for the love expressed by the St. John’s fan base, something that also moved his coach.

“It was a surprise to me and my family,” Ejiofor said of the warmth shown by the fans. “I felt good and I really want to thank the fans of St. John’s for making me feel like family.”

“Tonight, I found out what I loved about St. John’s since being here,” Pitino added. “To chant his name the whole game, that doesn’t happen anywhere else in America.”

St. John’s concludes its overseas trip Sunday, as the Red Storm takes on Georgia at the Imperial Arena on Paradise Island. Tipoff for the final game in The Bahamas is set for 11 a.m.