Justin Simon scored 16 points in the 81-66 win over Creighton.
MBB Minute -- St. John's, Butler Post Bounce-Back Victories
St. John’s and Butler both ended two-game losing streaks on Wednesday with double-digit wins.
St. John’s welcomed back Shamorie Ponds from a one-game absence due to a back strain and defeated visiting Creighton 81-66. Ponds scored a game-high 22 points and Mustapha Heron added 18 points. The Johnnies (15-3, 3-3) pulled away in the second half after leading 39-34 at halftime. Creighton (10-8, 1-4) went into the game ranked second nationally in 3-point shooting, but made only 11-of-35 from beyond the arc. Freshman Marcus Zegarowski scored a team-high 17 points and Martin Krampelj contributed 14 points and nine rebounds.
Butler outscored DePaul 51-29 in the second half of its 87-69 victory at Wintrust Arena. The Blue Demons led 40-36 at intermission, but the Bulldogs (11-7, 2-3) used a 17-0 spurt early in the second half to take control. For the first time in his young Butler career, transfer Jordan Tucker led the team in scoring, tallying 19 points. Kamar Baldwin had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. For a second straight game, Femi Olujobi and Paul Reed were prime contributors for the Blue Demons (10-6, 2-3). Olujobi scored 23 points and Reed posted his second straight double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
BIG EAST action returns on Friday with Xavier playing No. 22 Villanova at Wells Fargo Center at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The Musketeers (11-7, 3-2) have won their last two games by overcoming double-digit deficits in both contests. They feature a balanced scoring attack with Paul Scruggs and Naji Marshall averaging 13.2 points. Offensively, Villanova looks to seniors Phil Booth (18.2 ppg) and Eric Paschall (16.5). The Wildcats (13-4, 4-0) have won five in a row and have taken the last four meetings in the series with Xavier.
Conference play has been very competitive so far. After 25 of 90 BIG EAST contests, 13 have been decided by six points or less.