No. 7 Michigan Stuns No. 5 St. John’s 96-94 in Overtime Thriller at Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK, New York — In a game that felt more like March Madness than an October exhibition, No. 7 Michigan rallied from multiple deficits to defeat No. 5 St. John’s 96-94 in overtime Friday night at Madison Square Garden in the Bad Boy Mowers Series – New York.

Graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg led the Wolverines with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while junior forward Morez Johnson Jr. added 15 points off the bench, including the go-ahead basket in overtime. The Wolverines (1-0 exhibition) overcame 22 turnovers and a furious Red Storm comeback to hand St. John’s (0-2 exhibition) their second consecutive exhibition loss.

The thriller drew 13,287 fans to The World’s Most Famous Arena and lived up to the billing as a top-10 matchup between defending conference tournament champions. Michigan, the defending Big Ten Tournament champions under first-year head coach Dusty May, improved to 1-0 in exhibition play after falling to Cincinnati 100-98 in their opener.

For St. John’s, the loss marked a disappointing end to their exhibition slate at MSG before the regular season opens Nov. 3 against Quinnipiac at Carnesecca Arena. The Red Storm, picked to repeat as BIG EAST regular season champions and ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll and No. 6 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, will face No. 15/16 Alabama in their MSG regular season debut on Nov. 8.

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First Half: Turnovers Plague Both Teams

Michigan jumped out to an early lead behind Lendeborg’s hot start, with the UAB transfer—rated as the top prospect in the transfer portal—scoring eight of the Wolverines’ first 13 points. Lendeborg showcased his versatility, starting on the perimeter before shifting his focus to attacking the rim.

But turnovers kept Michigan from pulling away. Whether a risky entry pass into the post, a miscommunication on the perimeter, or just an inaccurate throw, the Wolverines routinely slowed their own offensive momentum. Lendeborg himself had four turnovers in the first half despite his scoring prowess.

St. John’s capitalized on Michigan’s mistakes, with preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor and Joson Sanon combining for 18 first-half points. The Red Storm’s full-court pressure disrupted Michigan’s offense and forced rushed decisions.

The Wolverines made just one field goal in the final five minutes of the half, and St. John’s took a 35-34 lead into halftime despite shooting just 36.4% from the field and 11.1% from three-point range (1-of-9).

Second Half: Lendeborg Takes Over, Michigan Pushes Pace

St. John’s carried their momentum into the second half, finding success getting to the rim and applying defensive pressure. But Michigan stayed within reach, and Lendeborg got going again.

Starting with 10 minutes left in regulation, Michigan’s go-to guy scored 10 points in a stretch of less than four minutes—all either layups or dunks. His dominance in the paint gave the Wolverines a 72-67 lead with just under seven minutes remaining.

The Wolverines’ adjustment to push the pace in the second half proved decisive. Will Tschetter, who finished with 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, explained the shift in momentum.

“I feel like we like to play fast. I feel like St. John’s does, but not to the same extent that we do,” Tschetter said. “Second half, we just started getting a lot more stops, so we were able to push the pace a lot more. I think that us being able to figure out how to break their press was big. Breaking the press gave easy buckets, had a few Hail Mary passes for some easy buckets. For us to be able to push that pace and play three on twos and get to our advantages was huge.”

Michigan’s lead grew to five points, but Ejiofor went to work down low, dropping 20 second-half points and helping St. John’s battle back. The Red Storm’s big man finished with 24 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, adding six rebounds and six assists.

The Wolverines turned the ball over just three times in the final 12 minutes of regulation—key to regaining offensive momentum. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, but after each team missed shots in the final minute, the game was sent into overtime tied at 84-84.

Red Storm’s News:

• Big East Media Day: Pitino’s St. John’s Reloaded, UConn Women Eye Repeat, Conference Poised for Competitive Season
• St. John’s Rallies Past Towson in Exhibition Opener Behind Second-Half Dominance

Overtime: Michigan Executes Down the Stretch

Michigan took an early eight-point lead in overtime, but St. John’s refused to go away. Lefteris Liotopoulos, who had been quiet for most of the game, erupted for 13 points—all in overtime—including three three-pointers to keep the Red Storm within striking distance.

With under a minute to go, Johnson Jr. scored underneath to put the Wolverines up 94-92. On the next possession, after St. John’s split a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 94-93, Johnson went 1-for-2 at the line to extend Michigan’s lead back to two at 95-93.

With under 10 seconds remaining, St. John’s was fouled on a three-point attempt, but Liotopoulos went just 1-for-3 at the free-throw line, leaving the Red Storm behind 96-94. Bryce Hopkins’ desperation three-pointer at the buzzer missed, and Michigan escaped with the thrilling victory.

After playing a cleaner second half, the Wolverines didn’t turn the ball over a single time in the overtime period—a stark contrast to their sloppy first half.

Lendeborg’s Redemption Story

For Lendeborg, the victory at Madison Square Garden held special significance. The New York native was originally committed to St. John’s before the coaching change that brought Rick Pitino to Queens. After de-committing and eventually landing at UAB, Lendeborg entered the transfer portal as the top-rated prospect and chose Michigan.

“It was a dream come true, man. I got goosebumps going up in the building. Coming out to warm up was amazing to me. I felt like I was in a video game, so I’m really blessed and honored to be here, and it was amazing to get a win here,” Lendeborg said.

When asked if he had a chip on his shoulder facing his former commitment, Lendeborg didn’t hesitate.

“Absolutely. Absolutely, yeah. From the day that I got that feeling, they didn’t want me after they got signed, instantly took my shoulder from every game. I wanted so bad to come in here and win, and we did that, so I’m super happy about it. I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do, but I’m just happy to get the win,” he said.

Head coach Dusty May acknowledged the emotional element of Lendeborg’s performance while putting the situation in context.

“I like it when guys find a reason to be motivated. I think Michael Jordan’s an important reason, almost dreaming up reasons to want to destroy his opponent,” May said. “I know from experience during coaching changes, a lot is happening in a brief period. Those decisions, you have a lot of uncertain information before you make those decisions. I can’t speak on that, obviously, but him being from this area, this game means a lot. I think when the lights are on, he plays hard like that. I like the fact that he’s finding a reason to maybe go a little more aggression towards the glass.”

Cadeau Orchestrates Michigan’s Offense

Transfer guard Elliot Cadeau, who came to Michigan from North Carolina, orchestrated the Wolverines’ offense with nine assists and added nine points, including a crucial basket before halftime that gave Michigan momentum heading into the break.

“Super unselfish guy. Super fast guy as well, so he’s always going to be a threat regardless of where he’s at. Once he gets a lot more comfortable with letting the ball fly, he’s going to be unstoppable,” Lendeborg said of his point guard.

Tschetter echoed the praise for Cadeau’s playmaking ability.

“He’s incredible at being able to, you know, talk about unselfish guys and the ball screen, just creating for others. He’s the ultimate testament to that. He prides himself on that, and I think our whole team is extremely unselfish, and that’s what Michigan basketball is,” Tschetter said.

May was equally impressed with his floor general’s performance.

“I thought Elliot played a really, really good floor game. I thought his basket before the half was huge for us, just to get a little bit of positive momentum. He generated a lot of really, high-percentage shots,” May said. “I’m ecstatic with Elliot. I enjoy coaching him. He has a different level of energy in the games; it’s contagious. I think the bigger the game, the more heightened awareness he has towards what’s going on. I thought he was extremely impactful tonight.”

Michigan’s Balanced Attack

Lendeborg’s 25 points led five Wolverines in double figures. Johnson Jr. added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Aday Mara contributed 13 points and five rebounds. Roddy Gayle Jr. chipped in 11 points, and Tschetter added 10 points on efficient shooting.

Cadeau’s nine assists orchestrated an offense that shot 52.2% from the field (35-of-67) and 42.1% from three-point range (8-of-19).

Michigan dominated the paint with 54 points and converted 22 St. John’s turnovers into 12 points. The Wolverines also outscored St. John’s 20-4 in fast-break points, showcasing their ability to push the tempo.

Lendeborg credited his offseason work for his improved all-around game.

“This whole offseason I’ve just been working on spreading the floor off of my teammates, especially working on the confidence in my jump shot. I’m in there with a lot of guys shooting after practice, good shooters like Will and Nimari and Roddy, guys that can shoot the ball, and the confidence that they have in the shot. So that’s pretty much all I’ve been working on all year and being able to handle more pressure and being a reliever for Elliot and Roddy,” he said.

St. John’s Struggles from Three, Dominates Free Throws

St. John’s struggled mightily from three-point range, shooting just 17.4% (4-of-23) on the night. Hopkins, who was 0-for-2 from deep, finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, and two assists but struggled with his shot (3-of-11 from the field).

Dillon Mitchell added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Sanon contributed 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting before fouling out. Liotopoulos’ 13-point overtime explosion kept St. John’s in the game, but it wasn’t enough.

The Red Storm dominated at the free-throw line, shooting 78.0% (32-of-41) compared to Michigan’s 62.1% (18-of-29). St. John’s also held a 23-16 advantage in second-chance points, but their inability to knock down three-pointers and their 14 turnovers proved costly.

Ian Jackson, a preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team selection, struggled in his MSG debut, finishing with just two points on 1-of-8 shooting, including 0-for-4 from three-point range.

Battle in the Paint

The matchup between the two frontcourts lived up to expectations, with both teams featuring physical, athletic big men who dominated the glass and controlled the paint.

Tschetter praised St. John’s frontcourt trio of Ejiofor, Mitchell, and Hopkins.

“Extremely physical, looking to get all boards, obviously, really skilled as well. But those guys are junkyard dogs; they’re going for every single rebound. You can tell that that’s just instilled in their entire program. So that was definitely a big emphasis for us. Keeping their bigs off the glass, securing rebounds, getting five to the glass, rallying around the ball, and then pushing the ball up the court,” Tschetter said.

May echoed the sentiment while acknowledging his own frontcourt’s growth.

“Those guys are tough matchups. I know our big guys are all better, just simply facing Zuby. He’s a load. I thought Bryce Hopkins, I thought his poise—Dillon Mitchell is a good basketball player. I think he’s going to be fun for the St. John’s fans to root for this year,” May said. “Their frontcourt, their physicality, it’s impressive, and it’s the reason we came and played this game. We knew we would get better by being up here.”

Michigan outrebounded St. John’s 48-36, including a 16-8 advantage on the offensive glass. The Wolverines’ dominance on the boards led to numerous second-chance opportunities and kept possessions alive.

Pitino: “Our Guards Don’t Rebound”

St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino didn’t mince words in his postgame assessment, pointing to rebounding—particularly from the guard positions—as a glaring weakness.

“The same problem, two games in a row, our guards did not rebound,” Pitino said. “Tonight, you’ve got Joson with zero, Oziyah with zero, you’ve got Ian with one, you’ve got Dylan Darling with zero. And what happens is it’s a long rebound; the guards have got to get tougher and grab the ball. That was the most glaring weakness: the guards not rebounding the ball.”

Pitino also addressed his team’s defensive struggles, noting that Michigan shot 52.2% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range.

“Defensively, we’re nowhere near what we were last year,” Pitino said. “But this is a great exhibition game and I’m so happy with not necessarily the results, but so happy that we find out where we need to get better and how to work because we have one week left to do that.”

Ejiofor: “A Lot of Things Need to Be Cleaned Up”

Ejiofor, who led St. John’s with 24 points and was a force in the paint, echoed his coach’s sentiments about using the exhibition as a learning experience.

“Obviously, you don’t like to lose an exhibition or a regular season, obviously, but just like Pitino said, just use this game as a learning point, and we just figure out exactly what we need to work on because there’s a lot of things that need to be cleaned up,” Ejiofor said.

The preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year added that the team needs to rediscover the defensive mindset that carried them to a 12-0 record at MSG last season and a BIG EAST Tournament Championship.

“We’re just trying to get back to that defensive mindset that we were at last year, and it’s gonna take time, but we’re gonna figure it out,” Ejiofor said.

Eight New Players, One Week to Figure It Out

Both Pitino and Ejiofor emphasized the challenge of integrating eight new players into the system, noting that the lack of chemistry and defensive cohesion has been evident in both exhibition games.

“Great guys, but we’re not a together team defensively,” Pitino said. “That’s because of eight new players. They’re not used to working together, and that’s been the toughest thing so far.”

Pitino acknowledged that the team may not be fully ready for their Nov. 8 matchup against No. 15/16 Alabama or their Nov. 19 clash with Kentucky, but he expressed confidence that the team will improve.

“I don’t know if we’re ready for Alabama or Kentucky,” Pitino said. “But we will be. We’ll get it done. A lot of people are in the same boat we’re in with new players. I set the schedule tough because I want to know right now. I know that our guards don’t rebound; we got to do something about it.”

Ejiofor added that the team has no excuses and must figure things out quickly.

“Winning is the standard that we’re trying to build here at St John’s,” Ejiofor said. “So everybody came here to win. All the new players that came here to win. So whatever it takes, that’s what we’re gonna figure it out and just be better in everything.”

May: Playing Quality Opponents Key to Development

Michigan head coach Dusty May expressed gratitude to Bad Boy Mowers for sponsoring the event and emphasized the importance of playing high-level competition in the preseason.

“I’m giving a shout-out of gratitude towards Bad Boy Mowers for making this happen. These games, there’s a lot that goes into making this happen to put us in position to play a team like St John’s—legendary coach, legendary program,” May said. “As we were talking on our staff last night at the hotel, as we were flipping through four of these games on TV, they don’t feel like exhibition games. And so going forward, hopefully we can play more of these as we prepare and grow. I think it’s better for the guys. They enjoy this more than another week of practice.”

May acknowledged that his team is still working through early-season issues but was pleased with the improvement from their first exhibition against Cincinnati.

“We improved from our first to our second. That’s always the most important thing. We’ll find a few things to kind of narrow our focus and improve after this one,” May said. “Now we go in where these count in the right and left column. Then tonight we played a rotation that was to win the game. We thought we needed to start learning how to win because of our schedule. Our schedule is as daunting as any in college basketball. I think the computer metrics might have us number two in the country.”

The first-year Michigan coach emphasized that playing quality opponents like St. John’s provides far more value than traditional exhibition games.

“We’re significantly better than we would be if we just played a game to entertain our fans or to put the uniforms on,” May said.

Wolverines’ Adjustments in Second Half

May credited his team’s improved ball movement and decision-making in the second half as the key to the victory, while acknowledging they still have work to do.

“When we’re at our best, we’re moving the ball and we’re quickly getting to the second or third side. It’s not just reversals; it’s transition, slicing the court, attacking the opposite elbow, just trying to get the defense on their heels,” May said. “We were playing a lot of one-on-one in the first half. When you’re matched up with a really big, strong, old, athletic defender, that’s not wise on the first side.”

May noted that his team’s identity is built around ball movement and creating advantages through action, not isolation basketball.

“I think our guys are still in that early-season mode where they’re excited to play. I do think our decision-making improved in the second half as far as moving the ball and finding some identity. I thought we got some good action off the ball, which created some advantages,” May said. “We’re just not built like a team that can line you up and play one-on-one for 40 minutes and have a lot of success. That’s not how we recruited. That’s not how we’ve taught and coached. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of getting that early-season anxiety out of your system.”

Michigan Players on St. John’s

Despite the victory, Michigan’s players had high praise for St. John’s and believe the Red Storm will be a force in the BIG EAST once they develop chemistry.

Lendeborg, who followed St. John’s closely during his recruitment, offered his assessment of his former commitment.

“They’re a pretty well-rounded team, super deep, super athletic, got some good experience, and yeah, they’re going to be a really, really good team down the road,” Lendeborg said. “Obviously, it’s tough playing those first couple of games with that many transfers having to come together. It’s hard to replicate in practice, so they’re going to figure that out real soon. They’re going to be a real tough team to beat. And they got really good defense. Dillon Mitchell leading the way for them on the defensive end—they’re going to be really tough to beat and really tough to get a lot of points up on.”

Madison Square Garden Atmosphere

Despite being an exhibition, the game had a postseason feel, with 13,287 fans packing Madison Square Garden and creating an electric atmosphere.

Lendeborg, a New York native, was visibly moved by the experience of playing at The World’s Most Famous Arena.

“It was a dream come true, man. I got goosebumps going up in the building. Coming out to warm up was amazing to me. I felt like I was in a video game, so I’m really blessed and honored to be here,” Lendeborg said.

Tschetter acknowledged that the atmosphere elevated the game beyond a typical exhibition.

“Obviously, you look at the crowd, the two great teams facing off against one another to be able to have that—I mean, you’re seeing that more and more with these big exhibition games, but I think it’s great for teams to learn what you’re made of,” Tschetter said. “Not those secret scrimmages, not playing against low mid-major teams, but playing against really good competition off the bat is huge. Get thrown in the fire, see what you’re made of, see what your team can work on.”

Ejiofor praised the St. John’s faithful for their energy and urged them to continue showing up as the team navigates a challenging non-conference schedule.

“Our fans did a great job of just being energetic early on,” Ejiofor said. “And for an exhibition game, it was pretty packed. And the energy was there; it was loud. That’s something that we’re gonna be looking forward to moving on. We have a tough schedule early, and we’re gonna need Johnny’s Nation to show up time and time again.”

The game marked St. John’s first-ever exhibition contest at Madison Square Garden, adding to the historic nature of the matchup.

Scoring Summary

First Half:

• Michigan 34, St. John’s 35

Second Half:

• Michigan 50, St. John’s 49

Overtime:

• Michigan 12, St. John’s 10

Final: Michigan 96, St. John’s 94 (OT)

Looking Ahead

Michigan will continue preparing for the regular season under first-year head coach Dusty May. The Wolverines, ranked No. 7 in both major polls, will look to build on their strong finish and clean up their turnover issues as they prepare for what May called “as daunting a schedule as any in college basketball.”

The Wolverines’ early-season tests will reveal whether they can compete for a Big Ten championship and make a deep NCAA Tournament run in May’s first season.

St. John’s will open the regular season on Nov. 3 when it hosts Quinnipiac at 6:30 p.m. on FS1 at Carnesecca Arena. The Red Storm will then make their regular season debut at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 8 against No. 15/16 Alabama, followed by matchups with Kentucky, Baylor, and other high-profile opponents.

Pitino’s message was clear: the Red Storm has one week to fix their rebounding and defensive issues before the games start counting.

“We’ve got to find out in a hurry,” Pitino said. “Like Alabama’s one of the fastest shooting teams in America, we got to change it. We’ll make our corrections. It’ll be a fun team to watch.”

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Game Summary

Final Score: No. 7 Michigan 96, No. 5 St. John’s 94 (OT)
Date: October 25, 2025
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Attendance: 13,287
Stream: Big Ten+ (pay-per-view, $8.99)
Broadcast Re-Air: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 7:30 PM on MSG Network
Radio: LEARFIELD St. John’s Radio Network, VARSITY Network, ESPN New York App

Team Statistics

Copy table

Individual Scoring Leaders

Michigan:

• Yaxel Lendeborg — 25 points (10-15 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds
• Morez Johnson Jr. — 15 points (5-8 FG, 5-9 FT), 8 rebounds
• Aday Mara — 13 points (5-10 FG, 3-4 FT), 5 rebounds
• Roddy Gayle Jr. — 11 points (4-10 FG, 0-2 3PT, 3-4 FT), 6 rebounds
• Will Tschetter — 10 points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3PT, 2-2 FT), 4 rebounds
• Elliot Cadeau — 9 points (4-6 FG, 1-2 3PT), 2 rebounds, 9 assists

St. John’s:

• Zuby Ejiofor — 24 points (6-12 FG, 0-2 3PT, 12-13 FT), 6 rebounds, 6 assists
• Joson Sanon — 14 points (4-7 FG, 1-4 3PT, 5-6 FT), 5 assists
• Bryce Hopkins — 13 points (3-11 FG, 0-2 3PT, 7-9 FT), 9 rebounds, 2 assists
• Dillon Mitchell — 13 points (5-10 FG, 3-4 FT), 8 rebounds
• Lefteris Liotopoulos — 13 points (3-6 FG, 2-4 3PT, 5-7 FT), 6 rebounds
• Dylan Darling — 7 points (3-8 FG, 1-4 3PT), 3 assists
• Rubén Prey — 6 points (3-6 FG, 0-1 3PT), 4 rebounds
• Ian Jackson — 2 points (1-8 FG, 0-4 3PT), 1 rebound, 2 assists

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