Standings | Stats
 
MBB Minute – In the only game on Wednesday, St. John’s rallied from a 16-point deficit in the second half to defeat Xavier 79-71 in overtime in front of 14,545 at Madison Suare Garden.
 
St. John’s scored the first eight points in the extra period to nail down the win. Kadary Richmond was a critical cog for the Johnnies (17-3, 8-1 BIG EAST) while filling his stat line with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. He became the fourth active D-I player to amass 1,500 career points and 600 career assists. Zuby Ejiofor, Simeon Wilcher and RJ Luis Jr. all finished with 16 points. With the win, St. John’s has matched its best start since 1998-99.
 
Xavier (12-6, 4-5) had its three-game winning streak end. Ryan Conwell scored a game-high 21 points. Dailyn Swain, who left the game with a leg injury in the second half, added 16 points.
 
BIG EAST action continues Friday when Villanova visits No. 10 Marquette at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. Marquette won at Seton Hall 76-59 on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles (16-3, 7-1) are one half-game behind first-place St. John’s in the standings. MU ranks second nationally in turnover margin at +7.11. Villanova last played Monday, losing in the final seconds to Georgetown. The Wildcats (12-8, 5-4) are seventh nationally in free throw shooting, making 79.9 percent,  Eric Dixon continues to be first nationally in scoring, averaging 24.9 points.