St. John’s Comeback Falls Short at No. 6/6 Marquette

Saturday, March 4

Milwaukee, Wis. (Fiserv Forum)

2 p.m.

St. John's University

17-14,7-13Big East

No. 6/6 Marquette

25-6,17-3Big East

St. John's (NY)

Marquette

St. John’s Comeback Falls Short at No. 6/6 Marquette

3/4/2023 5:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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The Red Storm nearly erased 10-point deficit in the final 29 seconds of the contest

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The St. John's men's basketball team nearly erased a 10-point deficit in the final 29 seconds of play, but the Johnnies' comeback bid came up just short against No. 6/6 Marquette (25-6, 17-3 BIG EAST) on Saturday, dropping a 96-94 decision at Fiserv Forum.

After falling behind 93-83 on a pair of free-throws by Golden Eagles' guard Stevie Mitchell, the Johnnies went on a tear, answering with an 11-2 run and had an opportunity to tie it at the free-throw line with 2.4 seconds to go.

David Jones started the surge by knocking down a 3-pointer, before the junior wing stole the ensuing inbound pass and drained another triple from the corner all within three seconds. Following Jones' buckets, Mitchell sank a pair at the line to rebuild a six-point advantage for Marquette with 16 seconds on the clock. Next, it was Red Storm junior guard Dylan Addae-Wusu who stepped up, answering four seconds later with a four-point play to make it a 95-93 ballgame.

On Marquette's next trip down court, David Joplin missed two free-throws, giving St. John's an opportunity to tie the contest. After a Jones' missed a layup, O'Mar Stanley grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled with 2.4 seconds on the clock. Stanley made his first free-throw to get within one, 95-94, but after a Marquette timeout, the sophomore forward was off the mark on his second attempt. Golden Eagles' guard Kam Jones then went 1-for-2 at the line with one second remaining to seal the victory.

Addae-Wusu finished with a career-high 25 points, shooting 9-for-13 from the floor with four 3-pointers. He also dished out a team-high five assists.

Posh Alexander added 18 points for the Johnnies while senior center Joel Soriano finished the regular season with his 23^rd double-double, posting 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Junior wing David Jones registered double figures for the ninth-straight game, finishing with 17 points to go with five boards. Stanley set a career-high with 15 points on a 6-for-8 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds.

As a team, the Red Storm shot 53.1 percent (34-64 FG) from the field, including a 10-for-20 effort from distance. St. John's also sank 16 of its 18 free-throw attempts.

Kam Jones led Marquette with 23 points and hit five of the team's 11 3-pointers. Tyler Kolek recorded 18 points and 10 assists for the Golden Eagles.

Stanley scored six of the Johnnies' first nine points, as St. John's (17-14, 7-13 BIG EAST) held a 9-7 advantage less than three minutes into the contest. However, Marquette answered with 15-straight points and built its lead as large as 19 with 10:54 to go in the opening stanza.

From there, an AJ Storr triple jumpstarted a 24-9 run, as the Johnnies closed the first half strong. Alexander scored 13 of his 18 points in the opening frame, before a halfcourt shot by Addae-Wusu at the buzzer got the Red Storm within 53-47 at the break.

In the second half, the Johnnies made it a one-possession game on multiple occasions but could not regain the advantage. With 5:45 on the clock, Addae-Wusu finished a 3-point play to get St. John's within two, 75-73, before Marquette countered with a 7-0 run that helped set the stage for the thrilling finish.

St. John's opens the 2023 BIG EAST Tournament on Wednesday against Butler at 3 p.m. in the No. 8/9 game. FS1 will carry the national telecast from Madison Square Garden.