ROSEMONT, Ill. (Interstat) — In a grinding Big East contest defined more by defensive pressure than offensive artistry, Saint John’s methodically pulled away from DePaul for a 68-56 victory on Tuesday night at Allstate Arena.

The Red Storm, improving to 17-5 overall, used a decisive 11-0 run early in the second half to create separation from a Blue Demons squad that struggled to find any consistent rhythm. DePaul, which shot just 34.6% from the field and committed 11 turnovers, fell to 12-11.

The game’s pivotal sequence began with Saint John’s clinging to a 31-28 halftime lead. Out of the break, the Red Storm erupted. Oziyah Sellers and Ian Jackson connected on consecutive three-pointers, and Zuby Ejiofor converted a three-point play, part of an 11-0 surge that pushed the lead to 42-28 less than four minutes into the second half. DePaul never recovered, failing to mount a sustained challenge as their offense stagnated, scoring just 28 points in each half.

Ejiofor, a 6-foot-9 forward from Garland, Texas, was the game’s most impactful player, finishing with 16 points, four assists and a block in 35 minutes. His interior presence on both ends provided a steadying force for Saint John’s, which shot only 35% overall but capitalized on 20-of-29 free throw shooting and a plus-five turnover margin.

Bryce Hopkins of Oak Park, Illinois, added 15 points for the Red Storm, while Sellers contributed 13. The win was Saint John’s fifth in its last six games.

DePaul was led by Layden Blocker’s 13 points, but the guard from Little Rock, Arkansas, also accounted for five of his team’s turnovers. The Blue Demons’ offensive rating of 88.2 on 64 possessions underscored a night of frustration, despite blocking seven Saint John’s shots. CJ Gunn and RJ Smith each added nine points in the losing effort.

The first half was a ragged affair, with both teams combining for more turnovers (11) than assists (7). DePaul briefly held a 12-7 lead after a Théo Pierre-Justin three-pointer, but Saint John’s responded with a 9-0 run and never trailed again after the 14:46 mark of the opening period. The Red Storm took their slim three-point lead into halftime despite shooting 1-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first twenty minutes.

Defense and rebounding told the story for Saint John’s. The Red Storm held a 42-34 advantage in total rebounds, including 11 on the offensive glass, and tallied seven steals. DePaul, which entered the game as a significant underdog according to predictive metrics, could not overcome its own offensive inefficiency, finishing 5-of-20 from three-point range.

An announced crowd of 4,595 watched as Saint John’s completed a regular-season sweep of the Blue Demons, having also won the first meeting 79-66 in Queens on Dec. 16.

Saint John’s looks ahead to a pivotal Friday night showdown at home against Connecticut. DePaul travels to face Providence on Saturday.