SAN DIEGO, CA — Fifth-seeded St. John’s made a commanding entrance into the first round of the 2026 NCAA March Madness Tournament Friday night, defeating No. 12 Northern Iowa 79–53 at Viejas Arena behind a defensive clinic and an athletic edge the Panthers struggled to match.
Entering the tournament ranked No. 13 overall, after capturing back-to-back regular season Big East titles and consecutive Big East Tournament championships, the Red Storm wasted little time asserting itself.
St. John’s dictated the tempo from the opening minutes, using defensive pressure and physical play to disrupt Northern Iowa and seize control of the first half.
No. 5 St. John’s opened their March Madness run Friday night in San Diego, defeating No. 12 Northern Iowa by a final of 79-53 – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
The Red Storm, led by Rick Pitino since the start of the 2023-2024 season—one of the winningest coaches in NCAA Division I Basketball history and a two-time national champion, quickly reestablishing St. John’s into a powerhouse, relied on its defensive identity and competitive edge in Friday’s showing
The performance indicated that the team had the discipline and confidence of a group prepared for the moment.
The approach was no accident. St. John’s entered the matchup fully aware of Northern Iowa’s style of play.
Rick Pitino praised Northern Iowa’s style of play leading up to Friday’s matchup and even said the Panthers would be legitimate contender in the Big East Conference – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
“We watched about 12 films of these guys and the players watched about five,” Pitino said. “We knew what we had to do to win. The key was getting our tempo, stopping the three and making our threes.”
The Red Storm, opening the game on a 13–0 run, and hitting five straight shots to quickly build an 18-point lead in the opening minutes, executed that plan with precision, disrupting Northern Iowa’s rhythm defensively while creating scoring opportunities in transition and in the half court.
St. John’s showed their defensive tenacity in Friday’s win against Northern Iowa, limiting the Panthers to just 28 first half points – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Pitino pointed to the three-point line and rebounding battle as decisive areas.
“It was 30 to nine from the three-point line in attempts, which was big, and we won the rebounding battle 45–29,” the 73-year-old said.
March, however, rarely unfolds without a response.
As Northern Iowa began to respond in the second half, Rick Pitino quickly called a timeout to get his team back in form – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Northern Iowa came out of halftime with renewed energy, clawing its way back into the game and briefly taking control of the momentum in the second half. The Panthers played with urgency, testing St. John’s composure and forcing the Red Storm to respond to a surge that threatened to make the game competitive.
But St. John’s answered with the same formula that fueled its early dominance—defense, effort and relentless pressure. As the game wore on, the Red Storm’s athleticism once again separated them from Northern Iowa, whose tempo never fully recovered.
Pitino acknowledged the challenge Northern Iowa presented despite the final scoreline.
“If you allow them to control their tempo, they can beat anybody,” he said. “We didn’t allow that. We got out there off our defense and that was the key to the game.”
(L-R) St. John’s Bryce Hopkins, Zuby Ejiofor and head coach Rick Pitino during Friday’s postgame press conference – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Several Red Storm players delivered key performances as the game slipped out of reach for Northern Iowa.
Zuby Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year, Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player and a scholar-athlete—delivered a dominant performance—finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds while doing a little bit of everything across the floor. Playing with relentless effort, Ejiofor, known as the heart of the program on the court, provided leadership and versatility throughout the game.
Despite the strong performance, the senior big man believes the team still has room to grow.
“I think our ceiling is still high,” Ejiofor said. “We’re playing really good basketball right now and competing on both sides of the ball, but we can still take it to a whole new level.”
Zuby Ejiofor had his fingerprints all over Friday’s victory, recording 14 points and 11 rebounds, which marked his second consecutive double-double in a NCAA Tournament game dating back to last year’s Round of 32 matchup vs. Arkansas – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Ejiofor also emphasized the team’s mindset entering tournament play, stating “we’re really focused on coming out and setting the tone early. Nobody wants to go home. This is one step toward the bigger goal.”
Senior guard Oziyah Sellers of Hayward, California, excited to be back in his home state, looked locked and loaded offensively, delivering key contributions when St. John’s needed them. He hit three of their 10 three-pointers to finish up with 11 points.
Oziyah Sellers, back in his home state of California, felt right at home in Friday’s matchup vs. Northern Iowa, scoring 11 points and hitting a trio of three pointers – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Bryce Hopkins, a graduate forward, listed at six-seven, made his presence felt as well, adding 13 points while putting his stamp on the game with impactful moments that helped swing momentum back in the Red Storm’s favor.
Furthermore, senior forward Dillon Mitchell added a physical presence, playing hard and helping anchor the team’s intensity, which resulted in him recording seven points and nine rebounds.
Pitino praised Hopkins’ impact throughout the game, stating, “Bryce is playing great basketball right now. He does all the little things that are making us win.”
Hopkins credited the team’s chemistry and confidence for their recent stretch of strong play.
“We’re just comfortable right now. We’re playing together and not thinking out there on offense. Coach gives us the confidence and freedom to play.”
-St. John’s graduate forward Bryce Hopkins
That urgency has been central to the team’s tournament approach.
“It’s win or go home,” Hopkins added. “You’re only guaranteed 40 minutes every night, so you have to come out fast and play like that the entire game.”
As the season has gone on, Bryce Hopkins has continued to improve his game, producing on both ends of the floor – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
By the time the final buzzer sounded, St. John’s had fully reasserted control on Friday’s contest, turning what briefly looked like a second-half challenge into a commanding 79–53 victory.
For a program still chasing its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999, the Red Storm appear ready to embrace the pressure that comes with March basketball.
And with the victory, St. John’s, moving to 28-6 on the year, keeps dancing into Sunday, which is when the Red Storm will meet No. 4 Kansas in the Round of 32—tip-off scheduled for 5:15PM ET/2:15PM PT on CBS.
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