NEW YORK — Marquette men’s basketball got out to a commanding start, but was unable to maintain its pacing. Overtime wasn’t needed Friday night at Madison Square Garden, as St. John’s stepped into the driver’s seat after Big East Player of the Year, RJ Luis Jr. found the bottom of the net with over 16 minutes left to kickstart the Johnnies. After that, the Red Storm set the pedal to the medal as Marquette was defeated 79-63.
Zuby Ejiofor’s big night
Junior forward Zuby Ejiofor was the first St. John’s player with 30-plus points and nine rebounds in a postseason game since Walter Berry in 1986 and had the most points in a semifinal since Kemba Walker in 2011. While Marquette was able to overcome Ryan Conwell’s career afternoon (38 points, 7-of-11 from deep) Thursday against Xavier, the same could not be said Friday against Ejiofor in the paint or at the line.
The 6-foot-9 forward finished with a career-high 33 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Ejiofor found himself making plays throughout the game, slamming down an assortment of dunks, converting a loose ball opportunity into a jam, and additionally shifting the tide of the game after a drawing a flagrant foul early in the second half on junior guard Chase Ross and subsequently converting on the free throws. Ejiofor scored 23 second half points en route to helping the Red Storm outscore the Golden Eagles 44-26 in those 20 minutes.
Marquette head coach Shaka Smart said that Ejiofor’s performance played a vital role in how the game shook out.
“Zuby Ejiofor was the best player on the floor, he was terrific today,” Smart said.
Second half shooting slump sinks Marquette
After riding a hot shooting first few minutes at the Garden to a two-point halftime lead, the Golden Eagles couldn’t buy a bucket down the stretch as St. John’s lead continued to balloon. Marquette only made one 3-pointer on 12 attempts in the final 20 minutes.
The free throw fever resurfaced in the second half, as Marquette shot 5-for-12 from the line after making all six before the halftime buzzer. The Golden Eagles led by as many as 15 points early on, but the Red Storm responded with a run of their own to cap off the first half. Smart acknowledged after the game that early leads aren’t always mentally easy to deal with.
“Today was in some ways, the opposite, because we got up earlier in the game, we had a lead,” Smart said. “Sometimes, when we get up earlier, it’s almost fool’s gold, it’s like a false sense of where you need to be, but you know it’s going to be a long game.”
Kam Jones keeps scoring production
A bright spot for Marquette this season has been Kam Jones’ reliability as a scorer, he’s been in double figures in each of Marquette’s games this season. He led the Golden Eagles with 24 points on the evening and also racked up seven rebounds.
He became Marquette’s second all-time second leading scorer in yesterday’s game, while simultaneously joining the 2000-point club. Jones helped propel Marquette’s initial run behind four baskets in less than 80 seconds of game time.
Senior guard Stevie Mitchell joined Jones in double figures with 11 points, but it wasn’t enough, as St. John’s capitalized off the two-headed spear of poor shooting and non-balanced scoring to secure the victory.
This article was written by Mikey Severson. He can be reached at michael.severson@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @MikeySeversonMU
