St. John's, Seton Hall Reach Big East Semifinals

St. John's and Seton Hall advanced to the semifinals of the Big East Tournament on Thursday, with the top-seeded Red Storm routing Providence 85-72 and the fourth-seeded Pirates upsetting fifth-seeded Creighton 72-61 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

In the first quarterfinal matchup, St. John's controlled the game from the opening tip, building a 48-27 halftime lead and never allowing Providence to mount a serious challenge. The Red Storm, who entered with a 25-6 record and the conference's regular-season title, outrebounded the ninth-seeded Friars 51-30 and outscored them 36-26 in the paint. Providence, finishing the regular season at 15-17, managed just one field goal in the first 8:30 and committed 11 turnovers while recording only four assists.

Zuby Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year, led St. John's with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks, becoming the first player in tournament history to lead his team in all four categories in a single game. Bryce Hopkins, a graduate transfer who played three seasons at Providence before joining the Red Storm, added 14 points and a season-high 13 rebounds despite facing boos from the Friars' fans. Oziyah...