Bryce Hopkins scored 26 points to lead No. 14 St. John’s to a 96-81 win over Baylor in the second round of the Players Era men’s tournament on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Oziyah Sellers scored 22 points, while Dillon Mitchell and Ian Jackson chipped in 18 and 14 off the bench for St. John’s (4-2). Sellers hit five of St. John’s 11 3-pointers, while Hopkins went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Cameron Carr led Baylor (4-1) with a game-high 27 points. Tounde Yessoufou racked up 15 points and Isaac Williams added 14 points off the bench. Michael Rataj notched a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Red Storm rebounded from a one-point loss to Iowa State on the first day of the tournament, while Baylor had beaten Creighton to open the week.
Even though St. John’s was outrebounded 48-34, it held a 24-11 edge in fast-break points.
The Red Storm scored the first six points of the game on the way to an 18-4 lead following a 3-pointer by Sellers at the 14:03 mark.
But Baylor would get back into the game. Caden Powell’s layup capped a 7-0 rally and the Bears were down 23-18 at the 9:21 mark.
Later, the Red Storm defense forced turnovers on three straight possessions. Mitchell’s finger roll in the lane gave St. John’s a 34-25 lead.
With Carr tallying five of six straight points for Baylor, the Bears pulled within 36-31. St. John’s closed the half on a 4-0 run as Jackson’s layup beat the buzzer and gave St. John’s a 43-34 halftime advantage.
A three by Sellers got the second-half scoring started as the Red Storm rally continued. St. John’s reeled off eight straight points and took a 51-34 lead on Hopkins’ bucket and foul shot. It was a 12-0 St. John’s run that spanned both halves before Baylor reeled off six straight points that wrapped with two jumpers from Rataj.
But the Red Storm’s lead swelled to 61-42 on a Hopkins putback in the lane with 12:42 to play.
A 5-0 run pulled the Bears within 71-58, the closest they’d get the rest of the game. Jackson’s three with 7:04 put the Red Storm up 82-60.
–Field Level Media
