It’s still October, the game don't count, and yet Madison Square Garden still had the feel of a pivotal March game as No. 5 St. John’s met No. 7 Michigan in its final exhibition game of the preseason.
The back-and-forth affair came down to a final possession in regulation that saw Bryce Hopkins commit a turnover sending the game to overtime, the Wolverines would score the opening eight points before Lefteris Liotopoulos rattled off eight consecutive points to draw the Johnnies even at 92.
Liotopoulos had a chance to put the Red Storm in front with 8.4 seconds remaining after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt trailing by two, 95-93. He would make the first free throw before missing the next two as Michigan survived, 96-94.
“I don’t think it gets any better for an exhibition game than that,” Rick Pitino said after his team came up empty. “It was a wonderful game…for an exhibition game, for us, it was much needed, because we have eight new players, and we need to find our weaknesses and where we need to work and improve.”
The Red Storm’s largest lead was only five points, reaching the mark multiple times in the second half, but trailed by five, 72-67, with 6:10 remaining before rattling off a 10-4 run to reclaim the lead with 3:30 left.
“Really, really pleased with the grit that we showed coming back multiple times,” Pitino added.
Former Red Storm signee Yaxel Lendeborg shined with 25 points and ten rebounds for the Wolverines as St. John’s tried to match him inside with the trio of Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, and Dillon Mitchell.
Ejiofor posted 24 points, six rebounds, and six assists while Hopkins and Mitchell each scored 13 points and combined for 17 rebounds.
St. John’s defense, at times, was good, forcing 22 turnovers but allowed Michigan to shoot 52.2-percent from the floor and 42.1-percent from 3-point range.
It’s guards struggled in multiple facets of the game as Oziyah Sellers and Joson Sanon each fouled out while Ian Jackson was just 1-of-8 from the floor.
“We’re not a together team defensively because we’ve been out-rebounded twice now by Towson and [Michigan],” Pitino explained. “Defensively, we’re nowhere near what we were last year, but this is a great exhibition game.”
The next time St. John’s steps on the court the games will count for real as the Johnnies host Quinnipiac on Monday, November 3 (6:30 p.m. ET, FS1) in Queens.