QUEENS, N.Y. – Strong performances at the end of the first and second halves proved to be the difference as St. John's handed Butler its second Big East loss.
The Bulldogs fell 86-70 Tuesday night at Carnesecca Arena in Queens. Butler is now 10-4 on the season and 1-2 in Big East play. The Red Storm improved to 10-4 and 2-1 in the conference.
St. John’s scored seven of the final nine points of the first half to take a 45-38 lead at the break. Butler stayed close in the second half, but St. John’s kept the Bulldogs at arm’s length after a 15-4 run and eventually pushed the lead to 74-57 with 6:19 left.
Butler pulled within nine but couldn’t close the gap any further.
DJ Davis led the Bulldogs with 25 points, matching his season high. He hit five of his 10 three-point shots. Head coach Thad Matta was ejected with under 2:30 left after getting called for a pair of technical fouls.
Six St. John’s players finished in double figures, with guard Dannis Jenkins leading the Red Storm with 17 points. Joel Soriano (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Chris Ledlum (13 points, 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles.
Butler hosts defending national champion UConn at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday night. The Huskies are currently ranked No. 4 in the country. St. John’s visits Villanova on Saturday.