Northern Iowa Panthers vs. St. John's Red Storm

Mar 20, 2026

FINAL

Box Score

	1	2	T
UNI	28	25	53
SJU	47	32	79

Game Recap

Zuby Ejiofor leads streaking St. John's past Northern Iowa 79-53 in strong NCAA Tournament opener. Rick Pitino is now in his sixth decade of coaching, and he claims he had never studied more film of an opponent than he did this week to prepare St. John's for Northern Iowa.

Player Stats

NORTHERN IOWA	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
14Tristan Smith	30	4-11	0-0	1-2	6	3	1	1	1	4	9
13Will Hornseth	25	4-8	0-0	2-5	4	2	0	1	1	2	10
35Leon Bond III	34	6-13	0-1	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	4	12
3Max Weisbrod	30	2-7	2-7	0-0	3	0	0	0	1	4	6
4Trey Campbell	37	5-13	1-4	3-5	3	1	3	0	2	2	14
11Ismael Diouf	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
22Kyle Pock	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
20Chase Courbat	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7Ben Schwieger	30	1-4	0-1	0-0	8	1	1	0	1	1	2
2Geon Hutchins	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
10RJ Taylor	8	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
30Hunter Jacobson	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TOTAL	-	22-5738.6%	3-1421.4%	6-1250.0%	25	8	6	2	6	18	53

ST. JOHN'S	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
1Dillon Mitchell	32	3-4	0-1	1-1	9	1	1	2	2	2	7
24Zuby Ejiofor	28	4-10	1-3	5-6	11	2	1	4	2	2	14
23Bryce Hopkins	34	5-9	2-3	1-2	6	0	0	0	1	0	13
0Dylan Darling	33	3-10	0-6	0-2	5	5	1	0	0	3	6
4Oziyah Sellers	25	4-11	3-9	0-0	3	0	0	0	2	2	11
17Ruben Prey	12	2-3	0-0	4-7	4	0	0	0	0	1	8
2Sadiku Ibine Ayo	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
44Handje Tamba	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
31Lefteris Liotopoulos	7	1-1	1-1	2-2	0	1	0	0	0	1	5
3Joson Sanon	18	2-4	2-4	0-0	2	2	0	0	0	0	6
11Ian Jackson	9	3-5	1-2	2-2	2	2	0	0	1	1	9

TOTAL	-	27-5747.4%	10-2934.5%	15-2268.2%	42	13	3	6	8	12	79

Play-by-Play

Scores OnlyExpand All

1st halfUNISJU

(20:00) Start game.
(19:40) Jump Ball won by St. John's.
(19:40) Jump Ball lost by Northern Iowa.
(19:38) Zuby Ejiofor misses 10-foot hook shot.
(19:33) Trey Campbell Defensive Rebound.
(19:21) Trey Campbell misses 8-foot floating jump shot.
(19:16) Oziyah Sellers Defensive Rebound.
+3 (19:04) Bryce Hopkins makes 24-foot three point jumper.
03
(18:38) Leon Bond III misses 14-foot jumper.
(18:33) Dillon Mitchell Defensive Rebound.
(18:10) Foul on Leon Bond III.
+2 (17:58) Dylan Darling makes driving layup.
05
(17:41) Trey Campbell misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(17:37) Dillon Mitchell Defensive Rebound.
+2 (17:30) Dylan Darling makes 12-foot jumper.
07
(17:19) Max Weisbrod bad pass turnover.
(17:19) Zuby Ejiofor Steal.
+3 (17:15) Oziyah Sellers makes 26-foot three point jumper (Zuby Ejiofor assists).
010
(16:54) Trey Campbell bad pass turnover.
(16:54) Dillon Mitchell Steal.
+2 (16:54) Dillon Mitchell makes layup.
012
(16:53) Foul on Trey Campbell.
+1 (16:53) Dillon Mitchell makes free throw 1 of 1.
013
(16:42) Will Hornseth bad pass turnover.
(16:27) Oziyah Sellers misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(16:24) Northern Iowa Defensive Rebound.
(16:12) Ben Schwieger misses layup.
(16:12) Dillon Mitchell Block.
(16:04) Dylan Darling Defensive Rebound.
(16:01) Oziyah Sellers bad pass turnover.
(16:01) Trey Campbell Steal.
+2 (15:57) Leon Bond III makes 1-foot dunk (Tristan Smith assists).
213
+3 (15:45) Oziyah Sellers makes 25-foot three point jumper (Dylan Darling assists).
216
(15:11) Ben Schwieger misses 24-foot three point step back jumpshot.
(15:11) Dillon Mitchell Defensive Rebound.
(15:11) Zuby Ejiofor Block.
(15:02) Foul on Ben Schwieger.
(14:55) Dylan Darling misses 24-foot three point step back jumpshot.
(14:51) Trey Campbell Defensive Rebound.
(14:41) Tristan Smith misses 6-foot floating jump shot.
(14:37) Dillon Mitchell Defensive Rebound.
(14:27) Oziyah Sellers misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(14:23) Tristan Smith Defensive Rebound.
(14:10) Trey Campbell misses 12-foot floating jump shot.
(14:07) Dylan Darling Defensive Rebound.
(14:00) Oziyah Sellers bad pass turnover.
(14:00) Ismael Diouf Steal.
(13:55) Foul on Oziyah Sellers.
(13:55) Tristan Smith misses free throw 1 of 2.
(13:55) Northern Iowa Deadball Team Rebound.
+1 (13:55) Tristan Smith makes free throw 2 of 2.
316
+2 (13:30) Zuby Ejiofor makes layup.
318
(13:01) Will Hornseth misses 6-foot hook shot.
(12:55) Dylan Darling Defensive Rebound.
(12:46) Foul on Max Weisbrod.
+1 (12:46) Lefteris Liotopoulos makes free throw 1 of 2.
319
+1 (12:46) Lefteris Liotopoulos makes free throw 2 of 2.
320
(12:27) Will Hornseth misses 9-foot turnaround jump shot.
(12:25) Northern Iowa Offensive Rebound.
(12:17) Foul on Ian Jackson.
+1 (12:17) Trey Campbell makes free throw 1 of 2.
420
(12:15) Trey Campbell misses free throw 2 of 2.
(12:14) Bryce Hopkins Defensive Rebound.
(12:03) Ian Jackson misses layup.
(12:00) Ian Jackson Offensive Rebound.
(11:58) Foul on Will Hornseth.
+1 (11:58) Ruben Prey makes free throw 1 of 2.
421
(11:58) Ruben Prey misses free throw 2 of 2.
(11:56) Tristan Smith Defensive Rebound.
+2 (11:30) Trey Campbell makes 9-foot floating jump shot.
621
+3 (11:16) Lefteris Liotopoulos makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ian Jackson assists).
624
(11:01) Foul on Lefteris Liotopoulos.
+1 (11:01) Trey Campbell makes free throw 1 of 2.
724
+1 (11:01) Trey Campbell makes free throw 2 of 2.
824
(10:44) Foul on Max Weisbrod.
(10:31) Ruben Prey misses 8-foot hook shot.
(10:29) Northern Iowa Defensive Rebound.
+2 (10:09) Leon Bond III makes driving layup.
1024
(10:03) Foul on Trey Campbell.
(10:03) Dylan Darling misses free throw 1 of 2.
(10:03) St. John's Deadball Team Rebound.
(10:03) Dylan Darling misses free throw 2 of 2.
(10:00) Will Hornseth Defensive Rebound.
(9:50) Ben Schwieger misses layup.
(9:47) Bryce Hopkins Defensive Rebound.
(9:42) Bryce Hopkins bad pass turnover.
(9:42) Ben Schwieger Steal.
(9:23) Trey Campbell misses 19-foot jumper.
(9:21) Dylan Darling Defensive Rebound.
+2 (9:12) Zuby Ejiofor makes layup (Dylan Darling assists).
1026
+3 (8:53) Trey Campbell makes 25-foot three point jumper (Will Hornseth assists).
1326
+3 (8:34) Zuby Ejiofor makes 26-foot three point jumper (Dylan Darling assists).
1329
(8:16) Tristan Smith misses layup.
(8:16) Zuby Ejiofor Block.
(8:12) Zuby Ejiofor Defensive Rebound.
+3 (8:01) Oziyah Sellers makes 22-foot three point jumper (Dylan Darling assists).
1332
+3 (7:42) Max Weisbrod makes 26-foot three point jumper (Tristan Smith assists).
1632
(7:19) Dillon Mitchell bad pass turnover.
(7:19) Tristan Smith Steal.
(6:55) Tristan Smith misses layup.
(6:52) Tristan Smith Offensive Rebound.
+2 (6:51) Tristan Smith makes layup.
1832
(6:25) Oziyah Sellers misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(6:21) Tristan Smith Defensive Rebound.
(6:17) Foul on Dylan Darling.
(6:01) Max Weisbrod misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(5:57) Zuby Ejiofor Defensive Rebound.
(5:36) Foul on Leon Bond III.
(5:36) Bryce Hopkins misses free throw 1 of 2.
(5:36) St. John's Deadball Team Rebound.
+1 (5:36) Bryce Hopkins makes free throw 2 of 2.
1833
+2 (5:17) Will Hornseth makes 7-foot hook shot.
2033
(5:17) Foul on Zuby Ejiofor.
(5:17) Will Hornseth misses free throw 1 of 1.
(5:14) Bryce Hopkins Defensive Rebound.
(4:51) Dylan Darling misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(4:47) Will Hornseth Defensive Rebound.
(4:36) Leon Bond III misses 9-foot turnaround jump shot.
(4:33) Zuby Ejiofor Defensive Rebound.
(4:23) Zuby Ejiofor misses 6-foot hook shot.
(4:22) Zuby Ejiofor Offensive Rebound.
(4:22) Foul on RJ Taylor.
+1 (4:22) Zuby Ejiofor makes free throw 1 of 2.
2034
+1 (4:22) Zuby Ejiofor makes free throw 2 of 2.
2035
(4:05) Tristan Smith bad pass turnover.
(4:05) Dylan Darling Steal.
+3 (4:02) Bryce Hopkins makes 24-foot three point jumper (Joson Sanon assists).
2038
(3:37) Leon Bond III misses 14-foot jumper.
(3:34) Zuby Ejiofor Defensive Rebound.
+2 (3:29) Bryce Hopkins makes layup.
2040
+2 (3:11) Leon Bond III makes 8-foot floating jump shot.
2240
(3:04) Dylan Darling misses layup.
(3:04) Tristan Smith Block.
(3:04) St. John's Offensive Rebound.
+2 (2:42) Bryce Hopkins makes layup.
2242
+2 (2:22) Tristan Smith makes layup.
2442
(2:02) Foul on Tristan Smith.
+1 (2:02) Ruben Prey makes free throw 1 of 2.
2443
(2:02) Ruben Prey misses free throw 2 of 2.
(2:00) Joson Sanon Offensive Rebound.
(1:47) Dylan Darling misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(1:42) Oziyah Sellers Offensive Rebound.
+2 (1:41) Oziyah Sellers makes 4-foot jumper.
2445
(1:23) Max Weisbrod misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(1:18) Dillon Mitchell Defensive Rebound.
(1:02) Joson Sanon misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(0:59) Ruben Prey Offensive Rebound.
(0:57) Oziyah Sellers misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(0:53) Leon Bond III Defensive Rebound.
+2 (0:43) Trey Campbell makes layup.
2645
+2 (0:20) Ruben Prey makes layup.
2647
(0:20) Foul on Leon Bond III.
(0:19) Ruben Prey misses free throw 1 of 1.
(0:17) Ben Schwieger Defensive Rebound.
(0:02) Trey Campbell misses layup.
(0:01) Will Hornseth Offensive Rebound.
+2 (0:01) Will Hornseth makes 4-foot jumper.
2847

2nd half

Team Stats

UNI

SJU

53Points79

22-57(38.6%)Field Goal(%)27-57(47.4%)

3-14(21.4%)3-Point(%)10-29(34.5%)

6-12(50.0%)Free Throw(%)15-22(68.2%)

29(6)Rebounds(Offensive)45(12)

8Assists13

6Steals3

2Blocks6

6Turnovers8

18(0)Fouls(Technical)12(0)

0Largest Lead26

Game Details

Friday, March 20, 2026 · 7:25 PM

Viejas Arena · San Diego, CA

attendance: 11,441 (92.2%)

tv: CBS

spread: SJU -10.5

over/under: 133.5