No. 7/7 Michigan Outlasts No. 5/6 St. John’s, 96-94, in Overtime Exhibition at MSG

Saturday, October 25

New York, N.Y. (Madison Square Garden)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

0-0,0-0Big East

No. 7/7 Michigan (Exhibition)

0-0,0-0Big Ten

OT 1

Michigan

St. John's (NY)

Lefteris Liotopoulos led the Johnnies in three point field goals, shooting two of four.

No. 7/7 Michigan Outlasts No. 5/6 St. John’s, 96-94, in Overtime Exhibition at MSG

10/25/2025 10:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Zuby Ejiofor’s 24 points leads five Johnnies in double figures

NEW YORK – No. 7/7 Michigan outlasted No. 5/6 St. John's in an exhibition thriller at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, prevailing, 96-94, in overtime before a crowd of 13,287.

After neither side led by more than five in regulation, the Wolverines opened overtime with an 8-0 run over the period's first two and a half minutes. St. John's, however, showed no signs of letting up, as Lefteris Liotopoulos hit two 3-pointers and drained a pair of free throws to knot the game at 92 with his own personal 8-0 run.

With his team trailing by two, 95-93, and just eight seconds remaining, Liotopoulos drew a shooting foul beyond the arc. His first try was pure, but the sophomore missed his second and third attempts before Michigan came down with the rebound. Roddy Gayle Jr. went 1-for-2 from the line on the ensuing possession before a Bryce Hopkins full-court heave narrowly missed its target, sealing a 96-94 victory for the Wolverines.

BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor led the way for the Red Storm, tallying 24 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. The senior went 6-for-12 from the field and sank 12 of his 13 tries from the charity stripe.

Ejiofor paced five Johnnies in double figures. Joson Sanon scored 14 points in just 15 minutes of action due to foul trouble. Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell each finished with 13 points while adding nine and eight rebounds, respectively. Liotopoulos also ended the evening with 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including a 2-for-4 effort from beyond the arc.

St. John's forced Michigan into 22 turnovers, converting those miscues into 22 points. The Red Storm also earned its way to the charity stripe with regularity, going 32-for-41 from the free throw line.

Preseason All-Big Ten pick Yaxel Lendeborg scored 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead the Wolverines. The New Jersey native also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out four assists.

Michigan got off to a hot start, sinking its first four field goal attempts to take a 13-6 lead with just over five minutes gone in the contest. From there, the Wolverines went more than four minutes without a bucket, allowing St. John's to claw back within one, 13-12,

Trailing by three, 26-23, with just over four minutes to go in the half, the Red Storm ripped off a 6-0 run to pull ahead by three on a Ruben Prey jumper with 2:46 remaining.

The Johnnies moved ahead by as many as four before Elliot Cadeau drained a long three to beat the halftime buzzer, sending St. John's into the locker room with a 35-34 lead.

The two sides traded buckets before a 6-0 Michigan run put the Wolverines ahead by five, 72-67, with just over six minutes to go. Lendeborg sparked the spurt with back-to-back buckets.

The Red Storm responded with a run of their own, as Ejiofor sank three free throws and Mitchell threw down a monstrous dunk to knot the score at 72 two minutes later.

Michigan built its lead back to four before Ejiofor and Hopkins scored on consecutive possessions to draw even at 84.

Ejiofor came up big on Michigan's final offensive possession of the game, holding Lendeborg at bay and forcing an off-balance shot. St. John's had a chance to win it in regulation but could not get off a shot attempt.

St. John's will officially open the season on Monday, Nov. 3, when it hosts Quinnipiac at Carnesecca Arena. The game will air live on FS1 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

That season-opening contest against the Bobcats will also be part of a St. John's season-opening doubleheader, as Joe Tartamella's St. John's women's squad will take on LeMoyne at 2 p.m.