St. John’s comes up short in Top 15 shootout with Alabama

Zuby Ejiofor’s 27 points and 10 rebounds led St. John’s, but Red Storm was unable to fend off Alabama in Top 15 showdown. (Photo by St. John’s Athletics)

By Jason Dimaio (@jaydimaio)

NEW YORK — The signature non-conference win St. John’s has craved still eludes the Red Storm.

The fifth-ranked Johnnies set Madison Square Garden ablaze offensively in their first game on their second home floor, but the defense was unable to keep up with No. 15 Alabama in a 103-96 shootout won by the Crimson Tide.

“We played these early games so we can find out where we need to get better,” head coach Rick Pitino remarked. “And we know we need to get better in one-on-one defense. (Alabama was) the better team. They outplayed us.”

A crowd of 17,319 saw Alabama’s guards make life tough for the Red Storm throughout the afternoon, something Pitino is still learning how to meld into a cohesive unit to match last year’s second-best defense in the nation. While St. John’s had the length and quickness of Kadary Richmond, Aaron Scott and Deivon Smith a year ago, this season’s backcourt is still in its nascent stages of development.

“I think for Ian, Joson and Oziyah, we need them to become great defensive players to beat great teams,” Pitino said. “And they’re not right now.”

“They’re willing learners. We told them not to back up, but they did anyway. Their mindset was they didn’t want to get embarrassed.”

While the guards are still learning how to play in Pitino’s system, Zuby Ejiofor turned in another stellar day at the office as the Big East’s preseason player of the year anchored the charge for the Johnnies on both ends of the floor. Ejiofor (27 points, 10 rebounds) and Bryce Hopkins led the way through much of the first half as the rest of the team struggled to find its footing against Alabama’s breakneck pace and lightning-fast tempo. The starting backcourt of Ian Jackson, Joson Sanon and Oziyah Sellers combined for just six points in the opening stanza as each could not find a permanent answer for Aden Holloway. Holloway scored 15 first-half points, lifting the Tide to a 53-44 halftime lead.

Out of the break, Jackson was first to find a rhythm, scoring seven points in the first four minutes to spearhead a resurgence as St. John’s drew within four points of Alabama, at 62-58. The Tide would soon adjust, however, responding with a 9-2 run to extend its lead to 11 points and prompt Pitino to call a timeout. The Red Storm found another rally out of the stoppage, chipping away and ultimately taking an 81-80 lead on a Sanon three that threatened to blow the roof off the Garden as the Johnnies held their first advantage since early in the first half.

Both teams would trade baskets over the next several minutes, with Sellers pulling St. John’s back in front briefly, at 87-86, but by that point, the Red Storm looked noticeably gassed in its valiant attempt to run at the Tide’s frenetic pace.

Pitino eschewed calling a timeout at this juncture, something that Alabama would use to its benefit en route to a 9-1 run amid four St. John’s possessions that resulted in settled shots.

“At the end of the day, they’re a great team,” he said of the Tide. “When you give up 103 points, you’re not going to win.”

St. John’s will regroup with a week off before its next challenge, which comes on Saturday against William & Mary at Carnesecca Arena. The Red Storm is expected to have point guard Dylan Darling available after he was held out of today’s game due to a calf injury suffered in Monday’s win over Quinnipiac.

“He wasn’t close to playing at all,” Pitino said of Darling. “He’ll likely go (Saturday), but if he needs to rest, we’ll extend that.”