MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — Saint John’s built a nine-point halftime lead and withstood a second-half push from Marquette to earn a 76-70 victory in a Big East men’s basketball game Wednesday night at the Bradley Center.

Bryce Hopkins led the Red Storm with 23 points, while Nigel James scored a game-high 25 for the Golden Eagles. Saint John’s shot 44.8% from the field and converted 16 of 24 free throws to secure the win. Marquette, which never led, scored 38 points in the paint but was outscored 18-11 on fast breaks.

The win improved Saint John’s to 21-5 overall. Marquette fell to 9-18.