Hercules Still Sweats: St. John’s 84, Butler 70 Strength Shown, Judgment Deferred

By Jason Safford | Relentless Redstorm

As the horn sounded, the building went quiet.
A game had ended.

But the night did not settle.

St. John's Red Storm walked off the floor at Hinkle Fieldhouse with an 84–70 win over Butler. The score looked clean. But the feeling did not. This win did not close a book. It turned a page.

St. John’s has lived in the shadow of almost.
Almost disciplined.
Almost tough enough.
Almost finished.

Saturday night at home against Providence left a bruise. That game taught a hard lesson. Pressure does not announce itself. It waits. Leans. Asks questions late.

This game answered some of them.

Not all.

The ball went up and Butler pushed first. Hinkle leaned in. The floor felt small. But the Red Storm did not blink. They bent. Stayed together. Let the game breathe.

That mattered.

The first half was a tug of rope. Ten ties. Five lead changes. Butler hit shots. St. John’s answered without panic. No rush. No hero grabs. Just work.

Zuby Ejiofor took the first punch. He lived in the paint. Scored. Rebounded. Stole the ball from bigger bodies. Made Butler feel him early. Fourteen points before the break. Five rebounds. Three steals. He kept the floor honest when it wanted to tilt.

This is what resilience looks like early.
You absorb.
You do not break.

But the night waited for Bryce Hopkins.

Hopkins picked up fouls. He sat. Watched. The past leaned in. Providence leaned in. That night whispered, Hurry.

He did not.

St. John’s closed the half with calm. A 14–7 run. A corner three at the buzzer from Ruben Prey. Tie game. 42–42. Not a roar. A statement.

We are still here.

At halftime, Rick Pitino did not reach for emotion. He reached for truth. Talked about gaps. About help. Possession. How they are finishing the job together.

This team has heard speeches.
It needed instructions.

The second half arrived fast. Hopkins did too.

He attacked the wings. Hunted space. Turned patience into force. Fifteen of his 17 points came after the break. A steal. Dunk. Putback off his own miss that shook the rim and the doubt at the same time.

That play stretched the lead to 74–57. It broke Butler’s posture. It changed the air.

Refused revenge.

Asserted recognition.

St. John’s guarded with five. They forced mistakes. Took the ball and ran the other way. Butler coughed it up 21 times. St. John’s gave it away only eight. The math stayed clean. Their floor stayed wide. The game stayed under control.

This is the quiet killer.
Possessions.

The bench mattered. It always does when the road gets loud. Prey stayed ready. Lefteris Liotopoulos gave them juice. Fresh legs. Good decisions. No panic subs. No scrambling.

Depth is not luxury in January.
It is survival.

Butler kept firing. Finley Bizjack scored. Michael Ajayi battled. The Bulldogs never stopped swinging. They just could not stop the bleeding. St. John’s held them to 28 points in the second half. The clamps stayed tight. The clock stayed friendly.

When it ended, Pitino talked about trust. About blocking out noise. Growth. Hopkins talked about washing the last one away. About having each other’s backs. Prey talked about being ready when his name is called.

None of them talked about arrival.

That is important.

This team has left clues all season. Some pointed one way. Late collapses. Tight shoulders. Rushed shots. Others pointed somewhere else. Tough road wins. Shared scoring. Defense that travels.

Tuesday night left new clues.

This avoided the illusion of hot shooting.

Rejected luck.

It enforced discipline under stress.

Still, the past does not vanish. It waits. Every Big East floor will ask again. Each close game will test the habits. Hercules does not stop lifting stones because one felt lighter.

And waiting now are the Creighton Bluejays. Omaha. A loud building. Fast guards. Shooters who do not hesitate. A home court that feeds on runs.

Butler tested resolve.
Creighton will test recognition speed.

Can St. John’s protect the ball again? Can they close out without fouling? Can Hopkins wait and strike? Can Ejiofor absorb the first blow? Can the bench steady the room?

Anyone can bounce back once.
Becoming is doing it again.

The Red Storm left Indiana with a win and a warning. The clues are changing. The path looks different. The weight still feels heavy.

Hercules is sweating.
That means the work has begun.

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