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Richmond scores 24 and hits winning jumper as No. 15 St. John's holds off Providence 68-66

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Richmond scores 24 and hits winning jumper as No. 15 St. John's holds off Providence 68-66
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Richmond scores 24 and hits winning jumper as No. 15 St. John's holds off Providence 68-66

2025-02-02 11:37 Last Updated At:11:41

NEW YORK (AP) — Kadary Richmond scored a season-high 24 points, including the tiebreaking jumper with three seconds left, and No. 15 St. John’s held off Providence 68-66 on Saturday after blowing a 19-point lead in the final nine minutes.

RJ Luis Jr. added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Red Storm (19-3, 10-1 Big East), off to the program's best start in 39 years. They have won eight straight games and 14 of 15.

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St. John's guard Simeon Wilcher (7) reacts after St. John's gained possession of the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard Simeon Wilcher (7) reacts after St. John's gained possession of the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) shoots a free throw during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) shoots a free throw during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) attempts to steal the ball from Providence forward Christ Essandoko (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) attempts to steal the ball from Providence forward Christ Essandoko (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) dribbles the ball against Providence forward Christ Essandoko (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) dribbles the ball against Providence forward Christ Essandoko (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino yells on the court during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino yells on the court during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard Kadary Richmond (1) dribbles the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard Kadary Richmond (1) dribbles the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's took a one-game lead in the conference standings when No. 9 Marquette lost to No. 25 UConn on Saturday night.

Jabri Abdur-Rahim had a season-high 27 points off the bench to help Providence (11-11, 5-6) rally at Madison Square Garden. He made two of his eight 3-pointers during the furious comeback before Bensley Joseph hit a tying 3 with 33 seconds left — his only basket of the game to go with 12 rebounds and seven assists.

Following a timeout, Richmond used a screen by Zuby Ejiofor to get separation from Jayden Pierre and drain a pull-up jumper from the foul line. Joseph missed a heave from just inside halfcourt at the buzzer.

Richmond shot 10 of 14 from the field and had eight rebounds and eight assists. Ejiofor scored 13 for St. John’s, which shot 38% from the floor.

Providence: Entered averaging 12 turnovers per game but matched that total in the first half and finished with 20 overall.

St. John’s: Point guard Deivon Smith looked rusty at times after missing three of the previous four games with a right shoulder injury. He shot 1 for 10 from the field and finished with three points and six assists in 28 minutes off the bench.

Corey Floyd Jr. and Abdur-Rahim made consecutive 3s that pulled Providence to 62-61 with 2:21 remaining.

Providence’s top two scorers, Joseph and Pierre, combined for only 14 points on 5-of-23 shooting.

Providence hosts Creighton on Wednesday. St. John’s plays Marquette on Tuesday night at MSG before visiting UConn on Friday.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

St. John's guard Simeon Wilcher (7) reacts after St. John's gained possession of the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard Simeon Wilcher (7) reacts after St. John's gained possession of the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) shoots a free throw during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) shoots a free throw during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) attempts to steal the ball from Providence forward Christ Essandoko (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) attempts to steal the ball from Providence forward Christ Essandoko (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) dribbles the ball against Providence forward Christ Essandoko (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) dribbles the ball against Providence forward Christ Essandoko (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino yells on the court during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino yells on the court during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard Kadary Richmond (1) dribbles the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

St. John's guard Kadary Richmond (1) dribbles the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

WREXHAM, Wales (AP) — Wrexham continued its squad reconstruction ahead of a season in the second-tier Championship by releasing one of its most renowned players — against his will.

Steven Fletcher, a former Premier League player who scored some crucial goals to help Wrexham earn a third straight promotion, took to social media to say he'd be leaving the ambitious Welsh club.

“It’s with a heavy heart, and not by choice, that I unfortunately have to announce my departure from what I can only describe as the most magical club I have ever played at!” Fletcher posted on Instagram.

The 38-year-old striker said he fell back in love with soccer by joining Wrexham, a club whose notoriety has rocketed since being bought by Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and becoming the subject of a fly-on-the-wall documentary — “Welcome to Wrexham.” “In my 22 years of stepping onto a pitch, I have never experienced anything like this club,” the former Scotland international wrote.

“To my team mates — you are family!” he added. "I have never experienced a dressing room like it in my career, and I can’t believe I don’t get to walk in there every day next season."

Fletcher finished a long message by thanking Reynolds and McElhenney for the opportunity to play for Wrexham.

Wrexham will need to improve the quality of its squad after rising to the second tier, a level the club hasn't played since the 1980s and just one more promotion away from the Premier League.

Another striker who might be leaving is Paul Mullin, a star player in previous promotion campaigns but who was overlooked by Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson for much of the second half of the season.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE -Stoke's Steven Fletcher during the English League Cup 4th round soccer match between Aston Villa and Stoke City at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Oct. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira), File)

FILE -Stoke's Steven Fletcher during the English League Cup 4th round soccer match between Aston Villa and Stoke City at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Oct. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira), File)

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