Villanova Triumphs Over No. 9 St. John’s: Celebrating Their Third Consecutive Victory!

Tyler Perkins made a clutch 3-pointer with just 8 seconds left, giving Villanova a thrilling 73-71 win over No. 9 St. John’s. This victory ended St. John’s impressive 10-game winning streak.

Wooga Poplar shone brightly, scoring 22 points, while Eric Dixon contributed 17 points for Villanova. This win is crucial for the Wildcats, who have now won three consecutive games.

Aaron Scott led St. John’s with 22 points. He was supported by Kadary Richmond, who had 17 points and 10 assists, and teammates Simeon Wilcher and RJ Luis Jr., who each scored 12. St. John’s still holds a slim lead in the Big East over No. 24 Creighton as they prepare to face Villanova again on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

In Durham, No. 3 Duke achieved a 78-57 victory against California. Cooper Flagg was the star, scoring 27 points and helping Duke keep its home winning streak alive at 14 games.

Tyrese Proctor added 18 points, while Khaman Maluach contributed a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Duke bounced back strong after their loss to Clemson, which had ended their previous 16-game winning streak.

For California, Jeremiah Wilkinson led with 21 points, supported by Rytis Petraitis with 11 and Andrej Stojakovic with 10.

Over in Lubbock, No. 12 Texas Tech battled Arizona State in a gripping double overtime game, finishing 111-106. JT Toppin was the standout with a career-high 41 points and 15 rebounds, a performance that kept Texas Tech in the hunt in the Big 12.

Darrion Williams was also instrumental, scoring 27 points and making key plays in the second overtime. Arizona State, despite the loss, saw Adam Miller score 22 points and BJ Freeman add 21. The Sun Devils have now lost four straight.

Meanwhile, No. 19 Ole Miss secured a 72-68 win over South Carolina, thanks to Malik Dia hitting a crucial 3-pointer in the last minutes. Dia finished with 18 points, helping the Rebels rally from a 12-point second-half deficit. South Carolina, still searching for their first SEC win, has now lost 11 in a row.

In Columbia, No. 21 Missouri cruised to an 82-58 win against Oklahoma. Mark Mitchell shined with 25 points, leading his team out of a two-game slump. He shot well and grabbed 7 rebounds, while teammates Caleb Grill and Tony Perkins also contributed solid performances.