The game was not decided until the final minute, but when Xavier defeated visiting St. John's 90-83 on Wednesday, the Musketeers became the first team in the nation to reach 20 wins.
Xavier owns a 20-2 overall record and an 8-2 BIG EAST mark. Myles Davis led the winners with 16 points and Trevon Bluiett added 15 points and 13 rebounds.
For St. John's, Felix Balamou scored a career-high 20 points and Kassoum Yakwe notched 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.
Villanova maintained its one-game lead over Xavier in the standings by using a barrage of 3-pointers to beat Creighton 83-58.