The energy inside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night was electric, and for good reason. Just days after Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino etched his name into the history books with his 900th career victory, the No. 25 St. John’s Red Storm (16-5, 9-1 Big East) showed exactly why they are the hottest team in the conference. In a dominant display of shooting and defensive grit, the Johnnies dismantled the Butler Bulldogs 92-70, extending their winning streak against their rivals to eight games.
Before the opening tip, the Garden paused to honor Pitino, who became only the fourth coach in NCAA history to reach the 900-win plateau following last Saturday’s thrilling comeback against Xavier. The victory was a family affair, coming against his son, Richard Pitino, but Wednesday was all about the “New York’s Team” business. The legendary coach didn’t let the celebration distract his squad, who currently sit at second in the Big East standings, trailing only top-ranked UConn.
Butler (13-8, 4-6) entered the contest sitting fifth in the conference and hungry to snap a seven-game losing skid to the Red Storm. In the opening minutes, the Bulldogs brought a physical, blue-collar defensive approach that kept the game tight. However, St. John’s offensive depth eventually overwhelmed the visitors.
By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, the Red Storm had carved out a comfortable 43-29 lead. The story of the half was St. John’s shooting power; the team hit their stride from the perimeter, while their signature high-pressure defense forced Butler into difficult looks.
Butler saw strong contributions from Michael Ajayi, who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Jamie Kaiser Jr., who added 12 points. Despite their efforts to “scrape by” and narrow the margin in the second half, Coach Pitino utilized a deep rotation that kept fresh legs on the floor and the defensive intensity at a fever pitch.
The Johnnies were led by Ian Jackson (18 points), Zuby Ejiofor (15 points, five assists, and three blocks), and Dillon Mitchell (14 points and 13 rebounds).
As time ticked down in the second half, any hopes of a Butler comeback were effectively extinguished. The Bulldogs’ frustration boiled over late when Azavier “Stink” Robinson was disqualified from the game after picking up his fifth personal foul.
With this win, St. John’s completes the regular-season sweep of Butler, having previously defeated them 84-70 on January 6. The “game tradition” of Red Storm dominance in this series remains firmly intact, and with Coach Pitino now sitting at 901 wins, the Johnnies look like a legitimate threat to make a deep run in March.
Building on the momentum of their dominant win over Butler, the Red Storm are entering a pivotal stretch of the season. The team will look to keep their hot streak alive as they travel to Chicago to face the DePaul Blue Demons on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at Wintrust Arena.
St. John’s is hunting for another season sweep, as they’ve already taken down DePaul back in December with a final score of 79-66. Currently sitting 2nd in the Big East, every win is crucial for their seeding as they chase UConn for the top spot.
