In a thrilling comeback, No. 20 St. John's defeated Xavier 79-71 after overcoming a 16-point deficit in the second half, with Zuby Ejiofor scoring six of his 16 points in overtime.

Kadary Richmond led St. John's with a season-high 19 points, contributing significantly to the team's sixth consecutive win and their twelfth victory in the last thirteen games.

Looking ahead, Xavier will face No. 19 UConn on January 27, while St. John's is set to play against Georgetown on January 30.

Richmond's crucial layup with just over a minute left in regulation tied the game at 65, leading to St. John's scoring the first eight points in overtime.

RJ Luis Jr. and Simeon Wilcher each scored 16 points for St. John's, with Luis contributing all his points in the second half, highlighting the team's strong performance.

St. John's point guard Deivon Smith missed his second game in three outings due to a right shoulder injury sustained earlier in January.

With this victory, St. John's improved their record to 17-3 overall and 8-1 in the Big East, marking their best start in the conference since 1999.

The team is aiming for its first Big East regular-season title since 1992, showcasing a strong performance this season.

The game took place at Madison Square Garden in front of 14,545 fans, where St. John's maintained a perfect 13-0 record at home this season despite struggling with three-point shooting.

Xavier's Ryan Conwell led his team with 21 points, while Dailyn Swain contributed 16 points before leaving the game with a leg injury.

Under the leadership of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, St. John's regained sole possession of first place in the Big East standings, half a game ahead of No. 10 Marquette.

Despite this loss, Xavier is showing signs of improvement after a slow start in Big East play and has an easier schedule ahead.