St. John's men's basketball escapes Xavier in overtime win

The Red Storm averted a dispiriting loss thanks to a late equalizer by Oziyah Sellers and another big game by Zuby Ejiofor

Feb. 9, 2026 at 9:47pm

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Despite an inability to string together baskets, contain Xavier defensively, or execute late in regulation, St. John's lived off 28 made free throws at the line and bolted off the scene with their consecutive win by holding off Xavier in an overtime thriller on Monday night, 88-82.

Why it matters

This was a crucial Big East conference matchup between two teams fighting for position in the standings. St. John's was looking to build on their recent upset of rival UConn, while Xavier was hoping to pull off a road win against a ranked opponent.

The details

Deep-range specialist Oziyah Sellers made the most important play of the game, tipping in his own miss to level the score and send the game to overtime. In the extra period, St. John's locked down Xavier, holding them to 2-of-6 shooting and three turnovers. Zuby Ejiofor continued his strong play, scoring a team-high 25 points.

  • The game was played on Monday, February 10, 2026.
  • St. John's will face Providence on Saturday, February 14, 2026.

The players

Oziyah Sellers

A deep-range specialist for St. John's who made the game-tying tip-in to send the game to overtime.

Zuby Ejiofor

The leading scorer for St. John's, recording 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Tre Carroll

A key player for Xavier who scored a go-ahead floater late in regulation.

Jovan Milicevic

A Xavier player who fouled out before the end of the game.

Malik Messina-Moore

A Xavier player who fouled out before the end of the game.

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What’s next

St. John's will have five days to recuperate before they face the Providence Friars (11-13, 4-9 Big East) on Saturday, February 14. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from the Amica Mutual Pavilion, and the game will be broadcast on TNT.

The takeaway

This was a hard-fought Big East battle that came down to the wire, with St. John's ultimately prevailing in overtime. The game highlighted the importance of free throw shooting and defensive intensity, as well as the continued strong play of Zuby Ejiofor for the Red Storm.