The Marquette Golden Eagles went right down to the wire and knocked off St. John’s 101-93 in the opening round of the Big East Tournament.
The Golden Eagles (20-12, 8-10 Big East) extended its league-best streak of reaching the quarterfinals and will meet number-two Xavier at 6 p.m. tonight.
Freshman forward Henry Ellenson, who was named the Big East Freshman of the Year earlier in the day, led Marquette with 27 points and 14 rebounds.
The game had little flow, especially in the second half, when officials whistled 33 of the games 53 fouls. A total of five players fouled out.
Haanif Cheatham added 19 points, including three of four free throws in the final minute.
