Butler and St. John's fought until the final court Saturday in the semifinals of the 2024 BIG EAST Tournament with the top-seeded Red Storm pulling out a 4-3 decision.
 
Saturday's match was played in the Cayce, S.C. midday heat.
 
Despite Alvaro Huete and Rahulniket Konakanchi winning at No. 1 doubles, St. John's was able to claim the doubles point with wins on courts 2 and 3.
 
Patrick Joss was the first Bulldog to win his singles match on Saturday, taking a 6-2, 6-3 decision at No. 3 over Francisco Bascon. Joss was one of five Bulldogs who won their respective first sets in singles.
 
After St. John's won at No. 4 singles, Butler knotted the team score at 2-2 as Huete won at No. 1 singles over Martin Bugau, 6-4, 6-2.
 
The Bulldogs would take their first lead of the day when Konakanchi won in straight sets at No. 5 singles, taking a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Ryota Kaneda.
 
St. John's would be able to outlast the Bulldogs on courts 2 and 6 in securing three-set wins at both spots and ultimately the match.
 
The Bulldogs, the No. 5 seed in the tournament, finish the 2024 campaign with a record of 10-17. Huete, Borja Miralles and Michael Karr exhaust their NCAA eligibility with Butler returning a talented group for the upcoming season.
 
St. John's advances to play DePaul in the BIG EAST championship match.

Results

SINGLES 
1. Alvaro Huete Vadillo (BUT) def. Martin Bugaj (SJU), 6-4, 6-2
2. Carl Gustavson (SJU) def. Borja Miralles (BUT), 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
3. Patrick Joss (BUT) def. Francisco Bascon (SJU), 6-2, 6-3
4. Danilo Raicevic (SJU) def. Nicolas Arts (BUT), 6-1, 6-3
5. Rahulniket Konakanchi (BUT) de. Ryota Kaneda (SJU), 6-4, 6-2
6. Armando Sotelo (SJU) def. Aidan William (BUT), 1-6, 6-3, 6-0

DOUBLES
1. Huete/Konakanchi (BUT) def. Sotelo/Bugaj (SJU), 6-1
2. Bascon/Gustavson (SJU) def. Miralles/Joss (BUT), 6-3
3. Kaneda/Groves (SJU) def. Arts/William (BUT), 6-4