Vaaks sparks Providence in 2nd half and Friars beat St. John’s 77-71 despite Ejiofor’s 33 points

Story byAssociated PressSat, January 3, 2026 at 8:36 PM UTC·1 min readNEW YORK — Stefan Vaaks scored 15 of his 16 points in the second half and Jamier Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds to help lead Providence to a 77-71 victory against St. John’s on Saturday despite a career-tying 33 points by Zuby Ejiofor. Vaaks made four 3-pointers and Jaylin Sellers added 15 points for the Friars (8-6, 1-2 Big East Conference). Jason Edwards scored 11 points and Oswin Erhunmwunse 10. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEjiofor led the way for the Red Storm (9-5, 2-1) with his 33 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and three blocks.