Tide Offense Explodes and Hands No. 5 St. John’s Early-Season Loss

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NEW YORK, NY – A highly anticipated early-season matchup at Madison Square Garden turned into a reality check for the No. 5 St. John’s Red Storm on Saturday, November 8, 2025. In a dramatic, high-scoring affair, the No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide delivered a 103-96 victory, snapping the Johnnies’ 12-game winning streak at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” and raising immediate concerns about the team’s defensive foundation under head coach Rick Pitino.

The 103 points surrendered by St. John’s marked a significant, unwanted milestone: it was the first time a Rick Pitino-coached Red Storm squad had allowed an opponent to cross the 100-point threshold and the first time a non-conference team had done so against St. John’s since 2004.

Defensive Breakdown and Alabama’s Guard Play

St. John’s entered the game riding a wave of national hype and their highest ranking since 1991, largely predicated on the expectation of Pitino’s signature stifling defense. Instead, Alabama’s up-tempo offense and elite guard play dismantled the Red Storm’s schemes, leading for over 32 minutes of the game.

The Crimson Tide’s backcourt was exceptional:

Labaron Philon led the charge with a game-high 25 points, including a crucial deep three-pointer late in the game to extend Alabama’s lead.
Aden Holloway, returning from injury, added 21 points in his season debut.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. chipped in 17 points off the bench, overcoming a finger injury.

The trio of guards combined for 63 points, consistently breaking down the St. John’s defense and proving to be the difference-maker.

“We lost this game at the defensive end,” Coach Pitino stated bluntly postgame, pointing to the breakdowns in effort and execution, particularly in guarding the perimeter and controlling the fast pace.

The St. John’s Comeback That Ran Out of Gas

Despite the defensive struggles, the Red Storm offense showed bursts of brilliance, led by a dominant performance from forward Zuby Ejiofor, who poured in 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Bryce Hopkins added 19 points, and the team shot a respectable 49.2% from the field.

After trailing by nine at halftime (53-44), St. John’s mounted a furious comeback, erasing an 11-point deficit and even taking a brief one-point lead, 81-80, midway through the second half.

However, the late-game stretch saw the team’s momentum stall:

Crucial Offensive Stagnation: After taking the lead with just over eight minutes remaining, the Red Storm offense went cold, with Pitino noting his guards were “quick shooting a lot, not letting them have to play defense.”
Missed Opportunities at the Line: St. John’s attempted a staggering 40 free throws but missed 12, a significant amount of lost points in a seven-point game.
Turnovers and Second Chances: Alabama forced 12 St. John’s turnovers and secured 14 offensive rebounds, leading to 19 critical second-chance points that sealed the victory.

Looking Ahead: A Week to Recalibrate

The loss, which drops St. John’s to 1-1 on the season, serves as a sharp early-season lesson. Pitino now has a full week to address the “fundamental mistakes” before the Red Storm hosts William & Mary next Saturday. The team is also hopeful for the return of injured guard Dylan Darling, whose absence limited the backcourt depth.

This defeat at the Garden is not the end of the season, but it is an unmistakable sign that the highly-touted Red Storm roster has significant work to do to meet its national aspirations, particularly on the defensive end—the very calling card of its Hall of Fame coach. The challenge now is to quickly learn from the cracks that Alabama exposed and rediscover the defensive grit Pitino demands.