{"id":3582,"date":"2025-11-08T23:05:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T23:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/st-johns-alabama-msg\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T23:05:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T23:05:19","slug":"st-johns-alabama-msg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/st-johns-alabama-msg\/","title":{"rendered":"St. John&#8217;s Falls at MSG as No. 15 Alabama Surges to 103-96 Win"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<h1>St. John&#8217;s Falls at MSG as No. 15 Alabama Surges to 103-96 Win<\/h1>\n<p><strong>Lead:<\/strong> On Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at Madison Square Garden, No. 15 Alabama rallied late to hand No. 5 St. John\u2019s a 103-96 defeat. The Crimson Tide closed the game on a decisive 14-1 run, fueled by guard play, while St. John\u2019s comeback from 11 down fell short. Zuby Ejiofor led the Red Storm with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but Alabama\u2019s backcourt tandem proved the difference. The loss was St. John\u2019s first of the season and highlighted matchup problems inside and on the perimeter.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Final score: Alabama 103, St. John\u2019s 96 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 8, 2025.<\/li>\n<li>Alabama finished on a 14-1 run to break open a tight game late and secure the upset.<\/li>\n<li>Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway combined for 46 points, leading Alabama\u2019s offense.<\/li>\n<li>Alabama dominated the paint, 54-40, and outscored St. John\u2019s by 15 points from beyond the arc.<\/li>\n<li>St. John\u2019s surrendered 14 offensive rebounds, which produced 19 second-chance points for Alabama.<\/li>\n<li>Zuby Ejiofor posted 27 points and 10 rebounds (21 points came in the first half); Bryce Hopkins added 19 points.<\/li>\n<li>St. John\u2019s was without point guard Dylan Darling (calf strain), a factor in late-game execution and ball control.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>St. John\u2019s entered the nonconference matchup at Madison Square Garden ranked No. 5, carrying expectations of consistency in late-game situations after a strong close to last season. Rick Pitino\u2019s team had shown the ability to grind and execute down the stretch previously, making this matchup a measuring stick against a veteran SEC opponent. Alabama, ranked No. 15, brought an athletic backcourt and a deliberate inside-out approach that has defined its early-season identity.<\/p>\n<p>The matchup also represented a stylistic test: St. John\u2019s tends to rely on halfcourt sets and interior scoring, while Alabama generates offense through guard penetration and kick-outs to perimeter shooters. The presence of a traditional point guard had been limited all season for St. John\u2019s; Dylan Darling\u2019s absence due to a calf strain removed a familiar ball-handler and play organizer from the rotation. Both squads used the game to evaluate depth and rotations ahead of conference play.<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>The first half was paced by Alabama\u2019s guards getting into the lane and forcing help, which produced open perimeter shots. Holloway, Philon and Latrell Wrightstell combined for 34 first-half points on 13-for-22 shooting, and Alabama closed the half on a 16-6 run. A Holloway 3 at the buzzer pushed the Tide\u2019s halftime lead to nine as Alabama totaled 53 first-half points \u2014 the most a Pitino-coached St. John\u2019s team has allowed since his arrival in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>St. John\u2019s staged a second-half rally after falling as many as 11 points down. A 19-7 spurt, jump-started by Oziyah Sellers \u2014 who scored six points and handed out three assists in the run \u2014 briefly gave the Red Storm the lead with roughly 8:13 remaining. When Joson Sanon finally converted his first field goal, a right-wing triple, the Garden erupted and St. John\u2019s appeared poised to complete the comeback.<\/p>\n<p>Alabama responded methodically. The Tide answered the Johnnies\u2019 run with nine straight points that re-established a double-digit cushion, and they repeatedly found answers for St. John\u2019s late attempts to regain momentum. A 14-1 late run put the game out of reach, with Alabama\u2019s guards finishing possessions aggressively and forcing turnovers or contested shots.<\/p>\n<p>Individual lines underlined the divergence. Zuby Ejiofor carried St. John\u2019s offensively with 27 points and 10 rebounds, though 21 of his points came in the first half. Bryce Hopkins supplied 19. Ian Jackson and Oziyah Sellers each finished with 14 points, but the supporting cast went cold at crucial stretches; Sanon was 1-for-7 from the field early before hitting the big three.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>Defensive mismatches were decisive. Alabama exploited interior space and paint dominance (54-40), forcing St. John\u2019s to help and then concede open perimeter attempts. The Tide\u2019s ability to turn penetration into kick-out threes accounted for the 15-point difference from deep and altered the game\u2019s geometry for most of the second half.<\/p>\n<p>St. John\u2019s ball-handling and transition defense suffered without Dylan Darling. The Red Storm allowed 14 offensive rebounds and 19 second-chance points; those possessions accounted for momentum swings that undermined St. John\u2019s late-game push. In close games, offensive rebounding and limit on extra possessions are frequently the margin \u2014 here they favored Alabama decisively.<\/p>\n<p>From a coaching standpoint, Pitino faces questions about lineup flexibility and perimeter defensive schemes. Alabama\u2019s guards repeatedly attacked closeouts and drew help, exposing rotation timing and communication gaps. Adjustments to switching patterns and rebound box-outs will likely be focal points in practice ahead of St. John\u2019s next matchup.<\/p>\n<p>For Alabama, the win bolsters an early-season r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and validates its guard-centric offensive blueprint. The Tide demonstrated they can close tight games on the road against ranked opponents, which bodes well for SEC play. For St. John\u2019s, the loss is a reminder that depth, ball security and defensive rebounding remain work-in-progress elements for a team with national expectations.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Metric<\/th>\n<th>Alabama<\/th>\n<th>St. John&#8217;s<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Final Score<\/td>\n<td>103<\/td>\n<td>96<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Points in Paint<\/td>\n<td>54<\/td>\n<td>40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3-Point Differential<\/td>\n<td>+15<\/td>\n<td>-15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Offensive Rebounds<\/td>\n<td>14<\/td>\n<td>(allowed)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Top Scorer<\/td>\n<td>Philon\/Holloway &#8211; combined 46<\/td>\n<td>Ejiofor &#8211; 27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The table highlights where Alabama built and sustained its advantage: paint scoring, second-chance points and three-point production. Those three categories accounted for the swing required to turn a close contest into a two-possession game in the final minutes. For St. John\u2019s, heavy reliance on Ejiofor\u2019s early scoring showed both an offensive strength and a late-game fatigue risk when scoring was concentrated rather than spread through multiple consistent threats.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; Quotes<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Alabama finished the game on a 14-1 run to clinch a 103-96 victory at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n<p><cite>NY Post (media)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Zuby Ejiofor paced St. John\u2019s with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but many supporting pieces were inconsistent at key stretches.<\/p>\n<p><cite>NY Post box score summary (media)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Dylan Darling was unavailable due to a calf strain, a factor reporters noted in postgame coverage.<\/p>\n<p><cite>NY Post (media)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: Offensive Rebounds and Second-Chance Points<\/summary>\n<p>Offensive rebounds give the offensive team additional possessions after a missed shot, increasing scoring opportunities and often leading to higher-percentage putbacks or reset possessions. Second-chance points are the points scored following an offensive rebound; teams that limit opponent offensive rebounds typically concede fewer of these high-value opportunities. In this game, Alabama\u2019s 14 offensive rebounds generated 19 second-chance points, a margin that materially impacted the final outcome.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The long-term status of Dylan Darling\u2019s calf strain beyond the immediate next game is not yet confirmed and will depend on medical evaluation.<\/li>\n<li>Any permanent lineup changes or rotations by Rick Pitino in response to this loss have not been announced and remain uncertain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>Saturday\u2019s loss exposed areas where St. John\u2019s must improve to meet top-10 expectations: defending guard penetration, limiting offensive rebounds and getting consistent secondary scoring when primary options are contained. Alabama\u2019s guards \u2014 notably Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway \u2014 seized control in the moments that mattered and turned a tight contest into a decisive road victory.<\/p>\n<p>For St. John\u2019s, the takeaway is corrective: adjustments on perimeter defense and rebounding discipline are immediate priorities. With nonconference play still early, the Red Storm have time to address those shortcomings, but this game will be a reference point for how the team responds under pressure in the weeks ahead.<\/p>\n<h3>Sources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/11\/08\/sports\/st-johns-fails-first-test-in-upset-loss-to-no-15-alabama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post \u2014 Game report and box summary (media)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>St. John&#8217;s Falls at MSG as No. 15 Alabama Surges to 103-96 Win Lead: On Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at Madison Square Garden, No. 15 Alabama rallied late to hand No. 5 St. John\u2019s a 103-96 defeat. The Crimson Tide closed the game on a decisive 14-1 run, fueled by guard play, while St. John\u2019s &#8230; <a title=\"St. John&#8217;s Falls at MSG as No. 15 Alabama Surges to 103-96 Win\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/st-johns-alabama-msg\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about St. John&#8217;s Falls at MSG as No. 15 Alabama Surges to 103-96 Win\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3578,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"St. John's falls at MSG as No. 15 Alabama wins 103-96 \u2014 Deep Dive Sports","rank_math_description":"Alabama closed on a 14-1 run to beat No. 5 St. John's 103-96 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 8, 2025. Read a full breakdown of the game, stats and implications.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"st john's, alabama, madison square garden, college basketball, zuby ejiofor","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}