At Madison Square Garden, the lights were bright and the energy was real as No. 5 St. John’s took the floor against No. 7 Michigan in an exhibition that felt far more like a March showdown than a preseason tune-up. This game absolutely lived up to its hype, with both teams exchanging blows for all 45 minutes, but Michigan came out victorious with a 96–94 overtime win.
Yaxel Lendeborg led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, adding 10 rebounds for a double-double. Elliot Cadeau finished with nine points and nine assists.
Zuby Ejiofor added 24 points and six rebounds for St. John’s, while Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins each finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.
Michigan came out firing, knocking down its first five field goal attempts behind preseason first-team All-American and UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg. Zuby Ejiofor and Arizona State transfer Joson Sanon quickly settled in, helping St. John’s keep pace with the Wolverines early. Rust was clearly a factor, as neither team found a consistent offensive rhythm throughout the half. North Carolina transfer guard Elliot Cadeau provided a spark for Michigan before the break, drilling a step-back three at the buzzer, but St. John’s still took a 35–34 lead into halftime.
The Red Storm’s three-point struggles from last season resurfaced, shooting just 1-for-9 from deep and 36% from the field. Michigan had multiple chances to pull away, but 15 first-half turnovers kept the game within reach.
The second half got underway, and it quickly turned into the Dillon Mitchell and Ejiofor show. The experienced senior duo powered the Red Storm offense, combining for 13 straight St. John’s points as the Garden crowd came alive.
Former Big Sky Player of the Year Dylan Darling drove into the lane, drew contact, and finished through the foul, though he couldn’t convert the free throw. Ejiofor was there to clean it up with a powerful putback dunk. On the other end, Lendeborg answered with an and-one of his own, but also missed the free throw. St. John’s held a 57–56 lead midway through the second half.
After a free-throw barrage from both teams, Lendeborg found his shot again, scoring five straight before sophomore L.J Cason hit a three, giving the Wolverines a 72-67 lead with five minutes to play.
After a scoring drought for St. John’s, Darling picked Cason’s pocket and fed Mitchell for a powerful dunk that brought the Red Storm faithful to their feet, making the Garden sound like a midseason matchup. Ejiofor followed with the next three points, tying the game at 74 with 3:45 remaining.
If there’s one thing for certain, the Mecca will fall in love with Darling’s energy and hustle.
It quickly became a foul fest, with the next seven points coming from the free-throw line before 7-foot-3 Ady Mara threw down a dunk to give the Wolverines a four-point lead. Ejiofor and prized transfer Bryce Hopkins quickly erased the deficit, tying the game at 84 with 30 seconds remaining.
After a strong defensive stand, Pitino had St. John’s hold for the final shot. Hopkins drove to the top of the key and looked to kick it out to sophomore Ian Jackson on the wing, but Roddy Gayle Jr. jumped the passing lane, intercepting the ball and forcing overtime.
The wheels started to fall off for the Johnnies in overtime. Jackson missed a wide-open layup, sparking a six-point run by Michigan. St. John’s trailed 90–84 with three minutes remaining.
After a Pitino timeout, Illinois transfer Morez Johnson Jr. blocked a Lefteris Liotopoulos three-pointer, giving the Wolverines an eight-point lead as “Let’s go Blue” chants began to fill the arena.
In classic New Yorker fashion, the Johnnies refused to quit. They stormed back with an 8–0 run after Liotopoulos sank two consecutive three-pointers, tying the game at 92 with just 60 seconds remaining.
Michigan went on to split a pair of free throws, giving St. John’s the ball down two with 26 seconds remaining.
Cadeau fouled Liotopoulos on an attempted three with 8.4 seconds left. Liotopoulos made one of three, and the Wolverines walked out of the World’s Most Famous Arena with the victory.
