Luis scores 20 as No. 6 St. John’s blows out Butler 78-57 to reach Big East semifinals

NEW YORK (AP) - RJ Luis Jr. scored 20 points and No. 6 St. John’s romped to a 78-57 blowout of Butler in their Big East Tournament quarterfinal Thursday.

One game after posting the program’s first triple-double this century, Kadary Richmond finished with 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Red Storm (28-4). Aaron Scott also scored 15 for St. John’s, which has won seven straight games - and 17 of 18 since the new year.

Coming off the school’s first outright Big East regular-season title in 40 years, the Johnnies hold the top seed at the conference tournament for the first time since 1986. They'll play No. 4 seed Xavier or fifth-seeded and 25th-ranked Marquette in the first semifinal Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

After going 23 years without reaching the Big East semis, the Red Storm have made it twice in two seasons under 72-year-old Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino. The resurgent Johnnies are seeking their fourth Big East Tournament title and first since 2000.

Patrick McCaffery had 16 points to lead No. 9 seed Butler (14-19), a 75-69 winner over eighth-seeded Providence in the first round Wednesday. Finley Bizjack scored 10 before leaving with an apparent ankle injury at the 14:59 mark of the second half.

WNBA star Caitlin Clark, wearing a Butler baseball cap, sat just behind the scorers' table near the team's bench. Clark's boyfriend is Bulldogs assistant coach Connor McCaffery.

Patrick McCaffery, who fought thyroid cancer while playing at Iowa, cried on his brother’s shoulder after exiting his final college game.

Butler: Since joining the Big East for the 2013-14 season, the only time the Bulldogs reached the conference tournament semifinals was 2018.

St. John’s: Improved to 19-0 at home, including 10-0 at MSG. The last time the Johnnies finished unbeaten at home was the 1931-32 season.

Luis, the Big East Player of the Year, scored all eight of his first-half points in 2 1/2 minutes, part of a 15-0 spurt that gave St. John’s an 18-3 lead with 12:29 remaining before the break. Butler never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

St. John’s, which never trailed, held the Bulldogs to 34.5% shooting and outscored them 44-18 in the paint along with 15-0 on fast breaks.

St. John’s swept Marquette and Xavier during the regular season, but went to overtime once against each one.