No. 5 St. John's falls short in preseason tune-up to No. 7 Michigan | amNewYork

"At Madison Square Garden, the lights were bright and the energy was real as No. 5 St. John's took the floor against No. 7 Michigan in an exhibition that felt far more like a March showdown than a preseason tune-up. This game absolutely lived up to its hype, with both teams exchanging blows for all 45 minutes, but Michigan came out victorious with a 9694 overtime win. Yaxel Lendeborg led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, adding 10 rebounds for a double-double."

"Michigan came out firing, knocking down its first five field goal attempts behind preseason first-team All-American and UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg. Zuby Ejiofor and Arizona State transfer Joson Sanon quickly settled in, helping St. John's keep pace with the Wolverines early. Rust was clearly a factor, as neither team found a consistent offensive rhythm throughout the half. North Carolina transfer guard Elliot Cadeau provided a spark for Michigan before the break, drilling a step-back three at the buzzer, but St. John's still took a 3534 lead into halftime."

Michigan defeated St. John's 96-94 in overtime at Madison Square Garden. Yaxel Lendeborg led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting and added 10 rebounds. Elliot Cadeau finished with nine points and nine assists. Zuby Ejiofor scored 24 points with six rebounds for St. John's, while Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins each had 13 points and eight rebounds. Michigan opened by making its first five field goal attempts, but both teams showed rust and inconsistent offense early. St. John's shot 1-for-9 from three and 36 percent from the field in the first half, and Michigan committed 15 first-half turnovers that kept the game close. The second half included a surge by Mitchell and Ejiofor that energized the crowd and forced overtime.

Read at www.amny.com