St. John's vs. Seton Hall final score: 3 things we learned from the Pirates' 78-67 victory

The Seton Hall Pirates pulled off an upset that could get them into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2012.

Led by a terrific effort from point guard Sterling Gibbs the Pirates knocked off the No. 15 St. John's Red Storm 78-67. Gibbs' 25-point performance provided the difference as the veteran guard knocked down big shot after big shot as time winded down.

The loss brings St. John's down to 11-2 on the season and, on the flip side, pushes Seton Hall to an identical mark.

Here are three things we learned from this game.

1. Seton Hall can still bring it without Isaiah Whitehead

The absence of freshman Isaiah Whitehead was supposed to be a major detriment to this Pirates team. Well, apparently the Pirates didn't get the memo because they performed outstandingly in the start of the Big East New Year's Eve marathon. They netted contributions from Sterling Gibbs, Angel Delgado and others, as they were able to get five players to reach the double figure plateau. This could mean big things going ahead for Seton Hall, especially if this type of offensive output continues.

2. St. John's did not get off to the best of starts

One of the most talented teams in the conference, St. John's came into this game ranked No. 15 in the country after the best start in almost 30 years. While they certainly competed with The Hall for 40 minutes, this was certainly not the type of result that they were looking for after coming in with such ferocity and excitement. While expectations shouldn't be greatly tempered, all eyes will be on the Red Storm going forward to see if they can live up to the hype.

3. D'Angelo Harrison is (still) a heavy contender for Big East Player of the Year

While we still might be weary on St. John's as a whole, there's no denying that D'Angelo Harrison has made "the leap" to stardom. The Anchorage, Alaska native scored 25 points, grabbed four rebounds and shot 9-for-17 from the field while committing just one turnover. Harrison has now scored more than 10 points in all but one game this season and his candidacy for Big East Player of the Year gets better with each passing game.