St. John’s 71, DePaul 62: Jamal Branch scored a career-high 18 points and Sir’Dominic Pointer collected 14 points and 11 rebounds as the visiting Red Storm held off the Blue Demons and pulled even in Big East play.

D’Angelo Harrison chipped in 15 points and eight boards for St. John’s (11-7, 3-3 Big East), which nearly squandered a 17-point lead in the second half before clinching it at the free-throw line.

Jamee Crockett scored 19 points and Cleveland Melvin added 16 as DePaul (10-8, 1-4) dropped its third straight.

The Blue Demons held a 39-37 lead early in the second half before things started to turn in the Red Storm’s favor. Harrison scored eight points during a 26-7 run that left St. John’s with a 63-46 edge with 7:36 left.

The Red Storm would not score for the next 4:24 and turned it over on four straight possessions as DePaul chipped away. Crockett hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Moses Morgan drained another to draw the Blue Demons within 65-62 at the 2:24 mark before Harrison sealed it at the line.

GAME NOTEBOOK: St. John’s has taken seven straight in the series and the schools will meet again in 11 days in New York. … DePaul G Brandon Young, who entered the game averaging 17.3 points, was held to six on 2-of-11 shooting. … The Blue Demons went 5-of-25 from 3-point range while St. John’s missed all four of its 3-point attempts.