Xavier Musketeers Fall to No. 5 St. John's Red Storm

Musketeers struggle on the road as Red Storm continue Big East dominance

Feb. 9, 2026 at 2:55pm

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The Xavier Musketeers (12-11) faced off against the No. 5 St. John's Red Storm (18-5) on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, with the Red Storm coming away with an 88-83 victory. The Red Storm, who are 16.5-point home favorites, improved to 11-1 in Big East play, while the Musketeers dropped to 1-6 in true road games this season.

Why it matters

This game highlighted the stark contrast between the Red Storm's strong home performance and the Musketeers' struggles on the road against top competition. St. John's continues to cement its status as a Big East powerhouse, while Xavier's inability to win away from home could hurt its postseason chances.

The details

Xavier was led by Tre Carroll's 17.9 points per game, but he was held to just 9 points against UConn in his last outing. The Musketeers also rely on contributions from Filip Borovicanin, Malik Moore, Jovan Milicevic, and Roddie Anderson III, but their perimeter scoring and defensive rebounding have been issues this season. Meanwhile, St. John's is led by forward Zuby Ejiofor, who averages a double-double, along with transfers Bryce Hopkins, Oziyah Sellers, and Ian Jackson. The Red Storm's balanced scoring attack and stifling defense have fueled their strong start to Big East play.

  • The game tipped off at 6:30 p.m. EST on Monday, February 9, 2026.
  • Xavier previously lost to St. John's 88-83 on January 24, 2026.

The players

Tre Carroll

Xavier's leading scorer, averaging 17.9 points per game.

Zuby Ejiofor

St. John's leading scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker, averaging 15.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game.

Bryce Hopkins

St. John's transfer averaging 13.6 points per game.

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What they’re saying

“We must continue to play with the same intensity and focus that has led to our success in Big East play.”

— Rick Pitino, Head Coach, St. John's Red Storm

“Our road struggles have been frustrating, but we'll keep working to improve and compete against the top teams in the conference.”

— Tre Carroll, Guard, Xavier Musketeers

What’s next

St. John's will look to continue its Big East dominance when it hosts Seton Hall on Saturday, February 14th. Xavier will try to bounce back at home against Creighton on Wednesday, February 12th.

The takeaway

This game showcased the stark contrast between St. John's strong home performance and Xavier's road struggles against top competition. The Red Storm's balanced scoring attack and stifling defense have fueled their rise to the top of the Big East standings, while the Musketeers' inability to win away from home could hurt their postseason chances.