RV/24 St. John’s Downs Delaware, 97-76

Saturday, December 28

Queens, N.Y. (Carnesecca Arena)

6 p.m.

St. John's University

11-2,2-0Big East

Delaware

7-6,0-0CAA

Team	1	2	F
Delaware	29	47	76
St. John's (NY)	48	49	97

12/28/2024 9:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Red Storm men’s basketball senior guard Deivon Smith led the way with 20 points, 13 boards and eight assists

QUEENS, N.Y. (Dec. 28, 2024) – Senior guard Deivon Smith led six Red Storm players in double figures with 20 points to help St. John's (11-2, 2-0 BIG EAST) close out its non-conference schedule with a 97-76 victory over Delaware (7-6) on Saturday at Carnesecca Arena.

It marked the first time St. John's had six players score double figures since a 2024 BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals victory over Seton Hall on March 14. The Johnnies also improved to 9-0 at home this season, including an 8-0 mark inside Carnesecca Arena.

Smith registered his third double-double of the year with a season-high 20-point performance and a career-high 13 rebounds. The Decatur, Ga., native knocked down a team-leading four 3-pointers and dished out a game-high eight assists in 33 minutes of action.

St. John's juniors Zuby Ejiofor and RJ Luis Jr. each delivered 16-point efforts on Saturday as the duo combined to shoot 12-for-17 from the inside the arc. Ejiofor added seven boards, three assists and a pair of blocks to his stat line while Luis matched Smith with three steals.

Simeon Wilcher drained a pair of triples in a 12-point effort. Vince Iwuchukwu broke out for a season-high 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor. Kadary Richmond rounded out those in double figures with a 10-point showing for the Johnnies. Ruben Prey also made his first career start in Saturday's victory.

The Johnnies drained nine consecutive field goal attempts to quickly open a double-digit advantage nine minutes into the game. Wilcher recorded seven-straight points before Ejiofor and Richmond both finished at the rim. Then it was Aaron Scott who drained a triple before Smith sank back-to-back 3-pointers to cap off an 11-0 run that put the Red Storm ahead, 25-12, with 11:08 to go in the first half.

St. John's doubled Delaware's point total, 34-17, with just under six minutes to play in the first half after Iwuchukwu scored five-straight points, including a pair of buckets in the paint. The Johnnies advantaged ballooned to as many as 24 following another Smith triple, a dunk by Luis and six-straight points from Ejiofor.

The Red Storm carried a 48-29 advantage into halftime.

The Johnnies drained nine of their first 14 shot attempts in the first 7:36 of the second half to open a 22-point lead, 67-45. Ejiofor, Luis and Richmond combined for 14 of the team's first 19 points to begin the latter stanza.

Luis scored eight more points over a span of 2:25 to maintain a 22-point lead, 82-60, with less than seven minutes to play. St. John's closed out the game hitting six of its final eight shots with Jaiden Glover knocking down a triple and both Iwuchukwu and Lefteris Liotopoulos converting layups.

Delaware's John Camden kept the Blue Hens in the game with a 35-point performance. The senior forward shot 9-for-11 from 3-point territory while also posting four rebounds, four assists and three steals in a full 40 minutes of action.

St. John's will close out 2024 with a New Year's Eve contest at Creighton. Tip-off from CHI Health Center Omaha is slated for 4 p.m. ET on Peacock.