LAS VEGAS — Two big games, two losses.
This one was closer, but more painful.
St. John’s couldn’t close, and fell to 0-2 against ranked teams following an 83-82 loss to No. 15 Iowa State in the Players Era Festival on Monday.
Oziyah Sellers missed twice late and Zuby Ejiofor’s potential game-tying 3-pointer failed to draw iron. Dillon Mitchell scored underneath as time expired.
“I wanted [Sellers] to shoot the 3, but he took a tough 2,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said. “He’s open, but we want more 3s up. It’s something that’s a weakness on his part because we need him to shoot 3s.”
Sellers led St. John’s with 20 points and Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins each added 16. Milan Momcilovic scored 23 points for the undefeated Cyclones. Similar to the Alabama loss, St. John’s couldn’t protect the defensive glass well enough, allowing 22 second-chance points to Iowa State. Sophomores Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon shot a combined 4-of-16 from the field in the disappointing defeat.
“With the game on the line, we didn’t come up with the rebounds to put the game away,” Pitino said. “I have no gripes with how our guys played.”
St. John’s started poorly, especially defensively. Iowa State began by making eight of its first 11 shots and held a 10-point lead early in the opening stanza.
St. John’s eventually found its footing, reeling off an 11-3 burst to go ahead after a Mitchell slam. The press was working, leading to seven Iowa State turnovers.
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The Red Storm led by as many as five points and took a two-point edge into the break. Ejiofor was terrific, notching eight points, four rebounds and four assists. Hopkins scored 10 points for the Johnnies in the first half.
Defending the 3 was an issue. The Cyclones were 6-of-11 from downtown and Momcilovic hit three from beyond the arc.
Iowa State started the second half like it did the first: by carving up the St. John’s defense. The Johnnies had five consecutive empty trips to start the period and quickly were behind again. The Iowa State lead was seven before the Red Storm responded with a 13-2 run that included four points around the basket from Mitchell. Sellers started it with a key left-corner 3-pointer.
