Roger Rubin: St. John's, Zuby Ejiofor enjoy comeback win on senior night
St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor is honored on senior night before a Big East men’s basketball game at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
This was always going to be Zuby Ejiofor’s night. It lived up to the expectation in every way from how the St. John’s star center was celebrated on Senior Night before his superb all-around performance against Big East rival Georgetown in his last regular-season home game.
Joson Sanon, Dylan Darling and a Garden crowd of 14,319 made sure the 18th-ranked Red Storm’s tri-captain had the perfect ending.
Ejiofor had 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists, a performance that left Hoyas coach Ed Cooley vowing to give him his Big East Player of the Year vote. But it was Sanon, Darling and the roaring fans that carried the Storm out of a 12-point hole in the final 12:47 with a game-closing 36-21 run for a 72-69 victory.
Sanon scored all of his 15 points in the game-finishing burst and Darling made a steal and took it for a layup to snap a 57-57 tie with 6:43 left for the final lead change.
About half the crowd was in their seats when Ejiofor was feted about 25 minutes before tip-off. When Storm coach Rick Pitino introduced him, those on hand rose from their seats and cheered and chanted “Zuuuuby!” for Ejiofor, who holds a special place for the program and the New York sports scene.
Consider: When one simply says “Zuby,” any sports fan in the Greater New York area — regardless of the sport he or she favors — knows exactly who is being spoken about. Single-name recognition isn’t something we’ve seen a lot of in Gotham.
As Ejiofor moved from the home bench toward center court after a brief introduction by Pitino, he was joined by his parents, Sheena and Andy Philachack, and his brothers Maximus, Raul and Tyson. And as he held aloft the framed jersey presented, his fellow honorees — Oziyah Sellers, Bryce Hopkins, Dillon Mitchell and Handje Tamba — joined the crowd in enthusiastic applause as did his teammates from the bench.
“It was an emotional night,” Ejiofor said. “It was everything that I thought it would be and I appreciate the fans. My family was obviously out there as well. Guys were saying I was gonna cry, but it was no tear shed. It was special, a night I wouldn’t forget and it’s a lot better coming out with the win.”
“His engine, his motor and when you hear him speak? He’s a poster child for an organization when you’re rebuilding,” Cooley said. “Just his overall energy in his body of work speaks for itself and it seems like it’s contagious to the rest of his teammates.”
“It’s the ultimate compliment to have an opponent’s coach compliment you in that fashion,” Ejiofor said. “I always pride myself on playing the right way, just give 100% effort . . . That’s just who I am. That’s who I’ve been since I’ve been here. And just to see that my work is noticed, not just within but by other programs . . . means a lot.”
And this win means a lot. It keeps St. John’s (24-6, 17-2) in the hunt to repeat as Big East regular-season champion and keeps it viable for the top seeding in the conference tournament.
Darling added 12 points for St. John’s and Hopkins took the Storm on the final turn of a roller-coaster ending. Jeremiah Williams had a chance to tie the game when he made a layup with 16.6 second left and was fouled by Hopkins. But he missed the free throw, Hopkins got the defensive rebound, drew the foul and made two free throws with 16.2 seconds left for the 72-69 lead.
Caleb Williams missed a three-point shot for the tie on the final play of the game.
Kayvaun Mulready had 20 points and Jeremiah Williams, the Rutgers transfer, added 17 points for the Hoyas (13-17, 5-14).
Sanon has long been touted by Pitino as the team’s most gifted player and the one with the highest ceiling. This performance — in which he made three big three-pointers — was his finest of the season and evidence that all Pitino has said about him may be true.
Of taking the big shots, Sanon said, “I’m never hesitant — my shot is cold-blooded.”
And he enjoyed feeding off the crowd’s energy. As he explained it, “You get a little adrenaline rush. It boosts you and gives you more confidence . . . I felt good about [tonight]. I helped them win on their Senior Night.”
Ejiofor was a first-team all-conference selection last season and looks sure to be one again this season. It would put him in select company as St. John’s two-time first-team picks with Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, Malik Sealy, Marcus Hatten, D’Angelo Harrison, Shamorie Ponds and Julian Champagnie.
Speaking at a news conference on campus Monday, Ejiofor said that when he was in the NCAA transfer portal after a season at Kansas and came to the Queens campus, “I never heard of St. John’s prior,” he said.
In a lot of ways when he transferred in, St. John’s was a fading name on the college basketball landscape. It no longer is. And Ejiofor is just one very big reason for that and deserving of all the love that was showered on him Tuesday night before and after the win.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
