The atmosphere at Madison Square Garden was electric, with a passionate crowd on their feet.

The cheer “Let’s Go Johnnies” echoed throughout the arena, reflecting the excitement of the moment.

This hard-fought win signifies a major step for St. John’s as they aim to clinch their first Big East regular season title since 1986.

When Rick Pitino was appointed as head coach, this dream became a tangible goal.

Fast forward less than two years, and that dream became a reality on Sunday afternoon.

Currently ranked ninth, the Johnnies have taken the lead in the Big East, sitting two games ahead of Creighton and Marquette after their impressive 79-73 triumph over the 24th-ranked Bluejays.

Once again, it was the defensive prowess of St. John’s that proved decisive, limiting Creighton to just 35 percent shooting after halftime and converting 15 turnovers into 20 points.

In the final 14 minutes and 51 seconds, the Bluejays managed only 16 points.

This victory also marks St. John’s highest win total since the 1999-2000 season.

They bounced back from their loss to Villanova by avenging their earlier setback against Creighton on New Year’s Eve.

RJ Luis boosted his candidacy for Big East Player of the Year with an outstanding performance, contributing 23 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists.

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Kadary Richmond added to the effort with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Zuby Ejiofor chipped in with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.

Deivon Smith rejoined the lineup unexpectedly, bringing energy from the bench with eight points and three assists.

A solid offensive run helped St. John’s establish a seven-point lead, highlighted by an 18-6 surge.

A crucial floater from Luis with 4:38 remaining extended the lead to 66-59, but Neal quickly countered with a 3-pointer.

At that moment, Ryan Kalkbrenner made his return after sidelining for over six minutes due to a foot injury.

The lead grew to eight points after Simeon Wilcher assisted Aaron Scott for a layup.

The energy in The Garden was palpable, signaling a clear path for St. John’s toward the Big East title.