Malik Ellison scored a career-high 23 points as St. John's snapped a four-game losing streak with a 78-68 win over struggling DePaul on Monday at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y.

Ellison knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to extend the Red Storm's lead to 70-58 with 3:43 to play and then had a steal and breakaway dunk to finish off the Blue Demons.

St. John's hit 12 3s, including five from Ellison, who went 5 of 6 from behind the arc.

Shamorie Ponds and Bashir Ahmed each finished with 14 points for the Red Storm (8-11, 2-4 Big East).

Billy Garrett Jr. scored 16 points to lead DePaul (8-11, 1-5), which dropped its second straight game and has lost seven of eight overall. Eli Cain finished with 15 points, including an 8-for-8 performance at the free-throw line, for the Blue Demons.

St. John's led for the majority of the game, but the Blue Demons did make a dent in the second half. DePaul was within seven after Brandon Cyrus scored off an offensive rebound with eight minutes left. But Ponds answered with a 3, and St. John's was able to answer every challenge from the Blue Demons down the stretch to sweep the season series.

Cyrus hit a 3, tying the score at 29 with 4:51 to play in the first half. But that would be DePaul's last points of the half.

St. John's closed the period with an 11-0 run, capped by a 3 from Federico Mussini, to give the Red Storm a 40-29 lead at halftime.

Depaul next faces back-to-back ranked opponents, beginning with a home game against No. 13 Butler on Saturday. It travels to No. 7 Creighton on Jan. 28.

St. John's hits the road for two straight, starting with a trip to Seton Hall on Sunday.