It’s the three-to-four minute lapses that have buried the Marquette men’s basketball team in its recent losses.
It happened again on Feb. 18, when the Golden Eagles put themselves in position to put a scare into St. John’s, one of the hottest teams in the country.
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The Red Storm pulled away for a 76-70 victory at Fiserv Forum, taking advantage of a few offensive droughts by MU late in the second half.
St. John’s (21-5, 14-1 Big East) has won 12 straight games, the fourth-longest winning streak in the nation, and is in position to win its second straight conference title.
The Golden Eagles (9-18, 4-12) continue to suffer through the growing pains that come with leaning into their young players down the stretch this season.
“We played hard, we fought,” MU freshman guard Nigel James Jr. said. “At the end of the day, I live and die with my brothers.
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“I trust them to shoot the ball. I trust myself. They trust me. Nobody points the finger at all. It’s a team thing that we lost.”
Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. (0) blocks a shot by St. John’s guard Dylan Darling (0) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
But MU opened the second half with six straight defensive stops, igniting an 11-0 run.
“We just decided coming into halftime that we needed to bring our defensive identity out,” James said.
The Golden Eagles took a 56-50 lead when James hit a highlight-reel layup in the paint with 11:55 remaining. But MU committed two turnovers and missed two shots on its next four possessions to allow St. John’s to score nine unanswered points.
James hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 59-59, but the Golden Eagles went through a 1-for-9 shooting slump that allowed the Red Storm to grab control.
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There was a brief flicker of hope when James had a 3-point play to get MU within 72-70 with 27 seconds left, but the Red Storm’s Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins made their free throws to salt away the win.
“We get in the paint and we get shots in the paint as much as anybody,” MU head coach Shaka Smart said. “I mean, statistically, we are the top 5 for 6 in the country.
“But, honestly, some of those shots we need to pass up when there are multiple guys, especially a team like St. John’s that is active and athletic. What you got to do there is get to two feet, show the ball, find an opponent. Which there were open guys. But it’s hard because it’s happening very, very fast.”
James continues to be the fulcrum of MU’s offense, scoring 18 of his 25 points in the second half.
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“There is a mental clarity that he has and, honestly, a connection with what we’re trying to go do as a team,” Smart said. “There’s no cloudiness or clutter in his mind, which allows him to play in complete attack mode.
“It’s exciting because there is incredible room for growth with him in a lot of ways. He’s got the ball in his hands so much. I think he’s in the top 1% in the country for usage, meaning that there’s a lot of times where the possession ends with a shot, an assist or a turnover from him.
“A lot of times good things are happening when that occurs. Just got to keep getting better at making some of those rim decisions.”
Bryce Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor are a load to handle
St. John’s big man Ejiofor has been a pain in MU’s side for several seasons. So has Hopkins, with both Providence and now St. John’s.
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The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Hopkins finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-9, 245-pound Ejiofor had three offensive boards and three blocks.
“Zuby has incredible competitive stamina,” Smart said. “So as the game wore on, he was able to get a few opportunities around the basket that he cashed in on.
“Hopkins, the guy was a monster against us three years ago at Providence (29 points and 23 rebounds). Guys don’t get worse. He’s old and he’s smart. He picks his spots. He did a heck of a job getting to the foul line.
“(MU forward) Royce (Parham)’s foul trouble hurt him in terms of being aggressive as you want to be. But as a team you need to find a way to win anyway. We just didn’t quite have enough. This is the first-place team in our league.
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“I thought our guys did a good job going toe-to-toe with them for a while. But you got to step forward.”
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. (0) blocks a shot by St. John’s guard Dylan Darling (0) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. (0) blocks a shot by St. John’s guard Dylan Darling (0) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette guard Chase Ross (2) guards St. John’s forward Ruben Prey (17) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette forward Damarius Owens (9) shoots over St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell (1) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette guard Chase Ross (2) tries to shoot over St. John’s guard Joson Sanon (3) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette guard Adrien Stevens (10) steals the ball from St. John’s guard Joson Sanon (3) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette guard Adrien Stevens (10) attempts a three-point basket during the first half of their game against the St. John’s Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette forward Damarius Owens (9) dunks on St. John’s guard Ian Jackson (11) during the first half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette forward Royce Parham (13) is guarded by St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) during the first half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette forward Caedin Hamilton (18) scores during the first half of their game against St. John’s Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette forward Royce Parham (13) is guarded by St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) during the first half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette forward Damarius Owens (9) pass to forward Caedin Hamilton (18) is blocked bu St. John’s forward Ruben Prey (17) during the first half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
St. John’s guard Ian Jackson (11) guards Marquette guard Chase Ross (2) during the first half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. (0) and St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) battle for the ball during the first half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. (0) passes the ball during the first half of their game against St. John’s Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino is shown during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette head coach Shaka Smart is shown during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette guard Chase Ross (2) winces after being fouled during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette forward Damarius Owens (9) hits a three-point basket while being guarded by St. John’s guard Ian Jackson (11) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
Marquette head coach Shaka Smart is shown during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino, left, talks with Marquette head coach Shaka Smart before their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette men’s basketball lost to St John’s 76-70
St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino talks to guard Ian Jackson (11) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70.
Marquette probable starters
Guards: Nigel James Jr., Adrien Stevens, Chase Ross
Forwards: Ben Gold, Royce Parham
Marquette vs St. John’s prediction
The Golden Eagles’ last five losses have been close games down the stretch. This one probably won’t be. St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor is the exact kind of rugged inside presence that gives MU trouble, and Ejiofor has for three seasons. He’ll have another big game here.
Prediction: St. John’s 83, MU 68
What channel is Marquette vs St. John’s on tonight? TV, livestream
Announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (analyst) and Andy Katz (sideline reporter) will call the game.
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Marquette vs St. John’s start time
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18
Marquette vs St. John’s odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Feb. 17
Spread: St. John’s by 9.5
Moneyline: Marquette +490, St. John’s +361
Marquette basketball schedule 2025-26
Here are the next five games for the Golden Eagles (all times Central):
Feb. 18: St. John’s, 8 p.m.
Feb. 24: at Georgetown, 6 p.m.
March 4: at Providence, 6 p.m.
March 7: Connecticut, 11:30 a.m.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Chase Ross (2) guards Butler forward Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (4) during the second half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marquette beat Butler 70-55.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Chase Ross (2) guards Butler forward Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (4) during the second half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marquette beat Butler 70-55.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Butler guard Finley Bizjack is double-teamed by Marquette guard Chase Ross (2) and forward Ben Gold (12) during the second half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marquette beat Butler 70-55.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Butler forward Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (4) is guarded by Marquette guard Chase Ross (2) during the second half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marquette beat Butler 70-55.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Adrien Stevens (10) battles Butler forward Michael Ajayi (5) and guard Finley Bizjack (11) for the ball during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. (0) stumbles during the first half of their game against Butler Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Adrien Stevens (10) steals the ball from Butler guard Yame Butler (8) during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette forward Damarius Owens (9) guards Butler guard Evan Haywood (1) during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. (0) is shown after scoring during the first half of their game against Butler Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.\
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Adrien Stevens (10) guard Butler forward Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (4) during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette forward Royce Parham (13) shoots over Butler center Drayton Jones (13) during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Butler guard Ethan McComb (3) guards Marquette forward Royce Parham (13) during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Tre Norman (5) competes for rebound against Butler guard Evan Haywood (1) and forward Jackson Keith (0) during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. (0) is guarded by Butler center Drayton Jones (13) during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Tre Norman (5) is fouled by Butler forward Michael Ajayi (5) during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette guard Adrien Stevens (10) shoots over Butler forward Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (4) during the first half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Former Marquette basketball coach Tom Crean speaks to the crowd while being honored during halftime of the Marquette – Butler game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Butler head coach Thad Matta is shown during the second half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marquette beat Butler 70-55.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Former NBA and Marquette great Dwayne Wade, left, talks with Marquette guard Chase Ross after their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marquette beat Butler 70-55.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Marquette head coach Shaka Smart challenges a call during the second half of their game Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marquette beat Butler 70-55.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Former Marquette men’s basketball head coach Tom Crean, left, is shown with former player Steve Novak before the Marquette game against Butler Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Former Marquette men’s basketball coach Tom Crean, blue blazer front, is shown with people he coached and worked with during a ceremony honoring him at halftime of Marquette game against Butler Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Marquette Golden Eagles men’s basketball team beat Butler 70-55
Former NBA and Marquette great Dwayne Wade, left, former basketball coach Tom Crean, his wife, Joani Harbaugh, and an unidentified man are shown before the Marquette game against Butler Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
