NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Saint John’s Red Storm used a dominant fourth-quarter surge to pull away from the Xavier Musketeers, securing a 71-52 victory in a Big East women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Carnesecca Arena.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 535, was a tale of two halves, with the decisive final period transforming a competitive contest into a lopsided result. Xavier, which led by three points after the first quarter and trailed by just four at halftime, saw its offense stagnate after the break. The Musketeers managed only six points in the third quarter and were ultimately overwhelmed by a 26-point fourth-quarter explosion from the Red Storm.

Saint John’s improved to 18-7 overall with the win, while Xavier fell to 11-12.

The most important part of the game was Saint John’s comprehensive defensive effort in the second half, which ignited their transition game and fueled the game-breaking run. After Xavier’s Mariyah Noel scored on a layup just 24 seconds into the third quarter to cut the Saint John’s lead to 29-27, the Musketeers’ offense went ice cold. Over the next 12 minutes of game time, spanning the remainder of the third quarter and the opening moments of the fourth, Xavier was held to just four points.

During that stretch, Saint John’s forced eight Xavier turnovers and blocked four shots, converting those defensive stops into easy opportunities at the other end. The Red Storm’s length and activity, particularly from guards Beautiful Waheed and Brooke Moore, disrupted Xavier’s offensive sets and passing lanes. This defensive pressure laid the foundation for the fourth-quarter onslaught.

With the score 45-38 entering the final period, Saint John’s swiftly removed any doubt. A pull-up jumper from Waheed, followed by a pair of free throws from Moore, quickly extended the lead to double digits. The Red Storm’s ball movement and shooting, absent for much of the night, found its rhythm as the Musketeers wore down. Saint John’s shot 9 of 15 from the field in the fourth quarter and connected on 7 of 8 free throws.

Waheed, a guard from Milwaukee, led all scorers with 14 points, adding two blocks and two steals in 23 minutes. Moore, from Kennesaw, Georgia, also scored 14 points and filled the stat sheet with five assists, three blocks and three steals. Sa’Mya Wyatt provided a critical spark off the bench, contributing 13 points, while Jailah Donald orchestrated the offense with 10 points and five assists.

Xavier was led by Noel, who battled for a game-high 20 points on 10-of-24 shooting. Savannah White added 11 points, three assists and two blocks. The Musketeers, however, were plagued by inefficiency, shooting just 39.6% from the field and committing 15 turnovers against only four assists. Their offensive rating of 80.2 points per 100 possessions underscored their struggles against the Saint John’s defense.

The statistical disparity told the story of Saint John’s control. The Red Storm out-assisted Xavier 10-4, out-stole them 10-4, and out-blocked them 6-2. They also took better care of the ball, committing 10 turnovers to Xavier’s 15, and were more effective from beyond the arc, hitting 9 of 23 three-point attempts compared to Xavier’s 4-of-15 performance.

The victory completed a regular-season sweep for Saint John’s, which edged Xavier 66-64 in Cincinnati on Jan. 17. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Saint John’s entered the game with a 94.5% probability to win.

Saint John’s will look to continue its momentum at home against Seton Hall on Saturday. Xavier, mired in a stretch where it has lost three of its last four games, travels to face Providence on Sunday.