College Basketball

St. John's defeats Xavier, 81-66, behind Joel Soriano's 18 points

Published Dec. 20, 2023 10:43 p.m. ET

Joel Soriano's 18 points helped St. John's defeat Xavier, 81-66, on Wednesday night in the Big East Conference opener for both teams.

Joel Soriano throws down a monstrous dunk, extending St. John's lead over Xavier

Soriano added 14 rebounds, five assists and six blocks for the Red Storm (8-3). Nahiem Alleyne scored 15 points, going 6 of 11 and 3 of 3 from the free throw line. Chris Ledlum was 4 of 11 shooting, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 4 from the line to finish with 13 points, while adding six rebounds and three steals.

Daniss Jenkins finds Chris Ledlum with a slick pass who scores, extending St. John's lead vs. Xavier

The Musketeers (6-6) were led in scoring by Desmond Claude, who finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Quincy Olivari added 13 points for Xavier. Trey Green also had 10 points.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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