Zuby Ejiofor brought the fight and imposed his will in the paint, impressing FOX Sports play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson with his physicality. He lifted No. 22 St. John’s to an 81-72 win against No. 3 UConn, and earned himself a spot on Johnson’s “GOT It” team.
“Zuby dooby doo!” Johnson exclaimed. “Zuby Ejiofor, what a game tonight! You just did it. Scoring the ball. On the boards. Blocking shots. Seven assists as well.”
Ejiofor scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and tossed seven assists, helping the Red Storm earn a resume-stamping victory. He found guard/forward Bryce Hopkins for a 3-pointer to put St. John’s ahead by 10 points with 13 minutes left. He corralled an offensive rebound and fed a cutting forward Dillon Mitchell for an easy deuce to help quench UConn’s surge. He scored a hook shot over Tarris Reed Jr. that gave the Red Storm a seven-point lead with 2:30 left.
“I would not lose,” Ejiofor said. “I would not lose. And I think that’s the mindset of the rest of my teammates, and the coaching staff did a phenomenal job getting us ready for this game. It’s my will to not lose.”
Ejiofor’s teammates followed his lead. Point guard Dylan Darling pulled up for a clutch left-wing 3-pointer. Mitchell skied for an important put-back layup.
No. 3 UConn Huskies vs. No. 22 St. John’s Red Storm 🏀 FOX College Hoops
“You can go down the list of guys that have made a huge impact in this game,” Ejiofor said. “We came in with the mentality that we were gonna do whatever it takes to win this game. And that’s exactly what we did.”
St. John’s win gave head coach Rick Pitino 903 for his career, and moved him into a tie with former UNC coach Roy Williams for third most wins among college basketball coaches. Pitino earned his 900th win against Xavier on Jan. 26., beating his son Richard Pitino and the Musketeers. He’s continued to build from there.
“He deserves it,” Ejiofor said. “He’s been doing this for a long time, and you know, what a great matchup, what a way to become the third winningest coach by taking down UConn.”
