INDIANAPOLIS — It was apropos, that it would be ugly.
A rock fight. A struggle.
So much of St. John’s success this year has been built on its ability to win that way. To prevail despite so much going wrong.
It felt right, that on the night it would clinch a share of the Big East regular season crown for the first time since 1992, that it was a game like this.
A slugfest in which the seventh-ranked Johnnies weren’t at their best, and never could pull away from Butler despite a fast start.
In the end, in crunch time, when the game was up for grabs, St. John’s made the winning plays at both ends of the floor like it has almost all season.
Now, after this gritty 76-70 victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Red Storm can clinch the program’s first outright league title since 1985 Saturday against Seton Hall and will at worst share the crown with Creighton.
Zuby Ejiofor saved his best for last, scoring six of his 12 points in the final 5:48. RJ Luis hit two clutch free throws with 1:48 to go to push the lead to four.
Deivon Smith added two more critical ones at the line.
And St. John’s locked down Butler when it mattered most, holding the Bulldogs to 37 percent shooting in the second half.