MILWAUKEE — Bryce Hopkins Returns to Friartown
On Saturday, St. John’s Providence celebrated the return of Bryce Hopkins to Friartown. Just four days later, he made his mark.
Despite struggles, Johnny, currently ranked 17th, advanced thanks to Hopkins’ strong performance, not Zubie Ejiofor’s.
Leading St. John’s to a 76-70 victory over Marquette at Fiserv Forum, Hopkins scored a team-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
After falling behind by six points, Hopkins ignited a turnaround, contributing 10 points in a decisive 17-5 run that shifted the momentum. Marquette, however, had an impressive 21-6 run, pushing back as the second half began. At one point, the Golden Eagles managed only five points in an 8:01 stretch.
Much like their previous game against Providence, where St. John’s outscored them 12 points in the last 11 minutes, Marquette faced a similar fate. During that stretch, St. John’s turned a six-point deficit into a six-point lead. With this victory, the University of Connecticut, previously in fifth place, climbed to the top of the Big East after experiencing a loss to Creighton.
Marquette closed the gap to two points late in the game, but clutch free throws from Ejiofor, along with a defensive rebound by Hopkins, set the stage for more opportunities at the free-throw line.
Ojiya Sellers added 12 points off the bench, while Ejiofor contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Joeson Sannon added nine points; Ian Jackson pitched in with eight.
Nigel James Jr. led Marquette with 24 points, and Royce Parham added 13.
St. John’s (21-5, 14-1) methodically built a nine-point lead early in the game, which remained steady at halftime. Coming off a rough shooting streak of 27.3 percent from deep in their last four games, they notably improved, sinking 6-of-14 from 3-point range in the first half.
They also shot a solid 54.8% from the field.
Despite keeping the game close with seven turnovers, Hopkins proved pivotal for St. John’s, tallying a team-high 11 points and snagging seven rebounds. Foul troubles hindered Mitchell and Darling, limiting them to a combined 17 minutes without scoring. Ejiofor had a quiet game, managing just one point, while his backup, Ruben Prey, added four points and two rebounds in overtime.
St. John’s bench was a significant advantage, outscoring Marquette’s 21-9, with Lefteris Liotopoulos energizing the offense with seven points in just four minutes.
James ignited an 11-0 run for Marquette to start the second half, marking the first time they led since the opening period. After a series of empty possessions, St. John’s finally got on the board with Ejiofor’s first basket of the game. Yet, things took a turn as Marquette pressed forward.
When James made a scoop play, the Red Storm found themselves trailing by six points with 11:49 left. At one point, they were down 21-6 in the second half, making everything seem out of sync.
Call it a wake-up call—Pitino called a timeout and, after that, St. John’s scored the next nine points in merely 1 minute and 35 seconds, never looking back again.
