It was St. John’s 79, Marquette 63 and it was Zuby Ejiofor (career-high 33 points with nine rebounds) who put his team on his back and carried it to this showdown against Creighton. It was Zuby Ejiofor who seemed to play with a raging intensity and refused to let the Johnnies lose and cede the night or the Garden to Marquette.

Maybe most improved didn't really do Zuby Ejiofor justice. The junior forward delivered an overpowering performance Friday night for No. 6 St. John's, scoring a career-best 33 points — a school record in the Big East Tournament — as the Red Storm rolled into the conference championship game for the first time in 25 years with a

Zuby Ejiofor had 33 points, the most for a St. John's player in Big East Tournament history, as the Red Storm reached the final for the first time since 2000.