Tyler Perkins hits the game winner as Villanova shocks #9 St. John’s | Villanova vs. St John’s Recap

VILLANOVA, PA—After Wednesday’s game, Tyler Perkins said that playing at Villanova has been everything he’s ever dreamed of. Well, Perkins accomplished something every kid dreams about against the Red Storm–hitting a game-winning three against a Top 10 team in the country.

Perkins and Villanova’s success at the Finneran Pavilion continued on Wednesday as the Wildcats defeated #9 St. John’s, 73-71.

Villanova defeated #9 St. John’s at the Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday evening.

The Wildcats have now won three games against ranked opponents at the Finn during the 2024-25 season. This marks the first time in program history that Villanova has secured two victories against Top 10 teams at the Finn in a single season, following the win against #9 UConn and Wednesday’s victory over the Red Storm.

St. John’s went on a 14-0 run midway in the second half to take a three-point advantage on an RJ Luis Jr. tip-in dunk. Villanova responded with a 9-2 run led by Eric Dixon, who scored seven points in that stretch. Simeon Wilcher made a three to give St. John’s a 71-70 lead with 28 seconds left in the contest. After a timeout, Perkins drilled a three-pointer from the right side of the arc to give Villanova a 73-71 lead with nine seconds remaining. Villanova’s perimeter defense held strong in the final eight seconds as Wilcher missed a three at the buzzer.

Villanova’s head coach, Kyle Neptune, talked about Perkins’ game-winning shot and the play design in his postgame press conference.

“We had a play set, but they blitzed,” Neptune said. “And we said, if they’re blitzing and they’re trapping, go make a play. I thought about calling a timeout, but it’s actually probably better being a broken play like that. They’re [St. John’s] really good when they’re locked in. I just trusted them [Villanova] to make a play.”

Wooga Poplar led Villanova (15-10, 8-6 Big East) with 22 points on nine-for-14 shooting. Eric Dixon scored 17 points, while Jordan Longino and Tyler Perkins combined for 25 points. Villanova converted 53% of its field goals and 46% of its three-point attempts. The Wildcats outscored the Red Storm in the paint, 24-16.

Coach Neptune credited his team’s defense for playing well against the Red Storm.

“I thought we settled in and really got to it defensively,” Neptune said. “And then, we knew they were going to make a run, and I thought our guys did a good job of staying their run and getting it done and then.”

Aaron Scott was eight-for-16 from the field, including five-for-13 from behind the arc, against Villanova. He accumulated a team-high 22 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Kadary Richmond converted seven of his 10 field goals for 17 points and 10 assists. Wilcher and Luis Jr. both added 12 points. St. John’s (21-4, 12-2) made 44% of its field goals.

The Red Storm had one of their best three-point shooting performances of the season. They knocked down 11 of their 37 threes for a 30% success rate.

St. John’s outrebounded Villanova, 33-27, but the Wildcats kept the rebounding battle much closer than the first matchup and grabbed 20 defensive rebounds.

Key Takeaways

Poplar’s Success at Home

Wooga Poplar, a senior guard from Philadelphia, PA, has scored at least 20 points in three of his last four games. He averaged 23 points per game in his last three home contests. Poplar is Villanova’s second-leading scorer with 14.7 points per contest.

Perkins’ Resurgence

After a rough start to Big East play, Tyler Perkins has bounced back with 32 points in his last two games. He is eight for his last 10 from behind the arc. The Penn transfer averages 6.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in his first season with the Wildcats. He has played well offensively and defensively.

Perkins discussed the atmosphere at the Finn on Wednesday and what it has been like for him to play at Villanova.

“It’s everything I ever dreamed of, being at a basketball school like this and a great community and fans and coaching staff,” Perkins said. “It’s been amazing.”

Wins at the Finn

Villanova improved to 12-3 at home this season, including 10-2 at the Finn in 2024-25. The Wildcats have only allowed 63.3 points per game at the Finn this season.

The Road Ahead Leads to Providence

Villanova will look to extend its winning streak to four games on Saturday against Providence (11-14, 5-9) in Rhode Island. Tipoff is scheduled for 6pm. The game can be watched on CBS Sports Network.