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After thirteen iterations of home victories against the St. John’s Red Storm (14-1, 2-1), the Georgetown Hoyas (11-4, 1-1) lost an overtime heartbreaker against the “Johnnies” at Capital One Arena. With another loss featuring a blown lead and late game turnovers, it may be tough to stay optimistic about Georgetown’s competitiveness in the conference.
However, considering the high level that Shamorie Ponds and the rest of Chris Mullin’s squad have been playing, perhaps this loss—as badly as Hoya-twitter were taking yet another late-game fumble—is not as bad as it felt. Perhaps Georgetown lost to a soon-to-be-recognized top 25 team as part of some sort of karmic retribution for the blown call of the Seton Hall game? Maybe.
If that concept doesn’t make Georgetown fans feel better, maybe the other articles below relaying Ponds’ comments about losing these types of games in the past can provide hope to the Hoya faithful. The New York media appears to frame St. John’s ending of their D.C. drought as both complementary to their solid home victory against a ranked Marquette and a direct result of the Johnnies’ multi-season perseverance. Sure.
“St. John’s non conference games proves nothing”
— Barstool St. John’s (@JohnniesStool) January 6, 2019
“They’re in for a rude awakening in the Big East”
“The most deceiving record in the whole NCAA”
Look at us now. #StormOn pic.twitter.com/BVL0g7pkde
Still not happy? Point to Mac McClung’s injury and Georgetown’s need for another ball-handler as a key reason the Hoyas appear to be stuck recreating mistakes of yesteryear. Even if a fifth-year’s extended presence boosts the efficiency of offensive sets, having an additional quick guard could have helped move the ball against pressure. Or maybe more turnovers.
Nevertheless, if St. John’s does succeed this year, it’s a remarkable story for the Red Storm, as well as the whole Big East—and a story to share with other developing programs featuring talented freshmen and sophomores who are learning through some tough losses. Hopefully.
Here are the links:
SO MANY CHANCES.
— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) January 5, 2019
St. John's holds on to defeat Georgetown in OT 97-94. pic.twitter.com/Rue4wATMZf
Hoyas Drop Overtime Heartbreaker to St. John’s | GUHOYAS
In front of an announced crowd of 11,115, the overtime frame opened with a 9-1 run for the Johnnies but the Hoyas didn’t go away as Jessie Govan (Queens Village, N.Y. / Wings Academy) found an opening on the right side, drained a 3-pointer and drew the foul to pull within five 94-89. He made his free throw to make it a four-point game...
Govan led all Hoyas with 25 points to go with 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the year while Josh LeBlanc (Baton Rouge, La. / Madison Prep Academy) recorded his fourth double-double on 12 points and a team-leading 13 boards. James Akinjo (Oakland, Calif. / Salesian College Preparatory) added 17 while Jamorko Pickett (Washington, D.C. / Massanutten Military Academy [Va.]) and Malinowski each chipped in 13 to round out those in double figures. Malinowski paced the offense with seven assists while Pickett led the squad with three blocks. Georgetown shot 41.4 percent (29 of 70) from the field and outrebounded the Johnnies 47-32.
JOHNNIES STAY HOT: St. John's beat Georgetown in overtime on Saturday to snap a 13-game losing streak against the Hoyas in the nation's capital. https://t.co/I07WhjUsqg
— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) January 5, 2019
Georgetown drops ball late and St. John’s capitalizes to extend its rebound season | WASHINGTONPOST
“We’ve got to just play,” Ewing said in lamenting the missed opportunity against a Big East contender and ending a four-game winning streak. “Everyone wants to just do it themselves instead of just moving the ball and making the right plays.” ...
The Red Storm shined in pressure moments, while the Hoyas failed to finish the job again. [] A month ago at Syracuse, they committed a turnover with 11 seconds left and conceded the winning basket with three ticks remaining. “We’ve been in close games,” Ewing said. “We just have to find a way to close out the game.”
He did not make any players available to comment.
"We need to close games better." @GeorgetownHoops coach Patrick Ewing after the #Hoyas 97-94 OT loss to @StJohnsBBall . pic.twitter.com/cr7piBsiRP
— Dave Preston (@davpresto) January 5, 2019
St. John’s Wins at Georgetown for First Time Since 2003 | NYTIMES
Shamorie Ponds made six 3-pointers and had 37 points and 5 assists as St. John’s beat Georgetown, 97-94, in overtime on Saturday afternoon, ending a 13-game losing streak against the Hoyas in Washington. The Red Storm had lost 13 consecutive games at Georgetown. Their last win there was on Jan. 18, 2003.
St. John’s started overtime on a 7-1 run, and Ponds made one of two free throws with 23 seconds left for a 97-94 lead. Georgetown had two looks at a potential tying 3-pointer, but James Akinjo did not hit the rim, and Jahvon Blair’s open shot from the wing bounced out.
4-POINT PLAY.
— CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) January 5, 2019
Jessie Govan is doing it all for Georgetown. pic.twitter.com/DnoPadWitR
St. John’s wins at Georgetown, 97-94, in an overtime thriller | RUMBLEINTHEGARDEN
Georgetown, blessed with size and execution, came back.
Riding a strong effort moving the ball, the Hoyas led by as many as 11 in a game that ultimately had 11 ties and 11 lead changes. Patrick Ewing’s Hoyas maintained control, slowing the pace and working the ball through the paint, through the powerful Jessie Govan and Josh LeBlanc.
Shamorie Ponds fought back, often driving on two Georgetown defenders at a time. But after he fouled James Akinjo, the freshman Hoya point guard’s free throws gave Georgetown a lead they seemed like they would never relinquish.
NB: if you drive on two Georgetown defenders, you at least double the chance that you’ll be fouled.
Final - .@StJohnsBBall defeat .@GeorgetownHoops in Overtime 97-94. A thrilling back to back affair, this loss has to sting for the Hoyas but a huge win for Johnnies especially on Lou Carnesecca Birthday #SJUBB #Hoyas #BIGEASThoops pic.twitter.com/k5XulQqcto
— Christian Jhovanny (@chrisjrod518) January 5, 2019
Ponds Shoots St. John’s to Victory in DC | BIGEASTCOASTBIAS
The difference in moods was obvious, as the Johnnies excitedly rushed to their bench in jubilation while the Hoyas, appearing stunned, walked toward their bench. That Red Storm energy translated into early overtime success, as two alley-oops and a three-pointer saw St. John’s take an eight-point lead within two minutes...
The Hoyas fouled Ponds to stop the clock, and the junior split the pair to give Georgetown a glimmer of hope. But the hosts couldn’t connect on either of their two three-point attempts at the end of the period, and St. John’s secured its first win in the nation’s capital since 2003.
Ponds’ 37-point performance was just his second-ever 30+ point outburst in a true road game in his career, with the other also coming at Georgetown last season.
St. John's made statement vs. Georgetown: We are for real https://t.co/3sUKHriE1S pic.twitter.com/kYqlpU3USm
— New York Post (@nypost) January 6, 2019
St. John’s made statement vs. Georgetown: We are for real | NYPOST
You make an impossible-to-believe-until-you-see-it-on-the-replay steal, as Shamorie Ponds did with 79 seconds left in overtime, swiping a would-be alley-oop pass out of the air with one hand — read those last words again; that really happened — before tossing the ball ahead to Justin Simon for the dunk that finally seemed to still Georgetown’s heart...
It wasn’t just that they headed home late Saturday with a satisfying 97-94 win over their fiercest and most ancient rival, or that they ended a 16-year dry spell by beating the Hoyas in the nation’s capital...
“We’ve lost games like this in the past,” said Ponds, who proved again why he may be as essential a player to his team’s success as any in the country.
Newsday's Sunday Back Page
— Joe Manniello (@joe_manniello) January 6, 2019
Ponds, St. John's make case for Top 25 with OT win at Georgetown
AND: Hofstra wins on 3 at buzzer, SBU teams roll
PLUS: Britton, Yanks agree on 3-year deal@APSE_sportmedia pic.twitter.com/vCDYOu1YsK
When @StJohnsBBall is good, the @BIGEASTMBB and college basketball are better because of it. Johnnies are 14-1 and 2-1 in #BIGEASThoops with the OT win at Georgetown. #SJUBB #BIGEASThoops
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) January 5, 2019
Shamorie Ponds puts up 37 points, leads St John’s to overtime win at Georgetown | NEWSDAY
St. John’s had suffered through more than a decade of misery against archrival Georgetown in the nation’s capital, but it wasn’t going to let the ghosts of failures past haunt it this time...
“Last year we kind of [went] down this road and we’d lose these games,” Ponds said. “We told ourselves it’s time to fight it out, overcome everything and get the win.” ...
The resolve of St. John's is something special. Red Storm have responded to last week's loss at Seton Hall with back-to-back wins over Marquette and Georgetown. Getting closer to the Top 25. #SJUBB
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 5, 2019
St. John's playing all its Big East home games at The Garden? AD Mike Cragg is in negotiations for it to happen next season. @NewsdaySports story: https://t.co/Bp8v4hnS70. #sjubb
— Roger Rubin (@RogRubin) January 6, 2019
St. John’s overtime win at Georgetown should also net a spot in nation’s Top 25 rankings | NEWSDAY
St. John’s should be a perfect 15-0. And were it not for the atrocious whistle that negated the Red Storm’s game-winning defensive play against Seton Hall last Saturday and inexplicably gave the Pirates a second chance for a game-winning basket (that they made) in the final seconds, it would be...
In an event that can only be attributed to karma paying a debt, LJ Figueroa was the central figure in the play Saturday that opened the door to the Red Storm’s win. The 6-7 forward is the player who deflected the inbounds pass at the end of the Seton Hall game, saved it from going out of bounds and got it to Mustapha Heron for what should have been the final second.
Against the Hoyas, he came up with a steal with 12 seconds left in regulation. Then the 57-percent free-throw shooter hit two with 11.3 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 85 and send the game to overtime.
"In an event that can only be attributed to karma paying a debt, LJ Figueroa was the central figure in the play Saturday that opened the door to the Red Storm’s win."
— Philadelphia Hoyas (@PhillyHoyas) January 6, 2019
St. John's overtime win at Georgetown should also net a spot in nation's Top 25 rankings https://t.co/u8JS1nPj4e
Jamarko Pickett from DOWNTOWN.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) January 5, 2019
Georgetown leads St. John's by three here with a little under two minutes to go. We're going down to the wire on CBS. pic.twitter.com/CDpPgwCQ0V
Men’s Basketball Drops to 1-1 in Big East with Overtime Loss to St. John’s | GEORGETOWNVOICE
The Hoyas looked inside early and often against an undersized St. John’s frontcourt, with senior guard Greg Malinowski assisting freshman forward Josh LeBlanc and Govan for the Hoyas’ first two baskets...
The Red Storm responded, predictably, through Ponds, who hit three 3-pointers to cut the Hoyas’ lead to five, despite generally tough coverage from junior guard Jagan Mosely and freshman guard James Akinjo. Neither team looked particularly convincing on defense, but especially the Hoyas, who were undone by 52.2 percent shooting from their opponents on the afternoon. GU trailed by three, 42-39, at the break, with Govan already chalked up for 10 points and Ponds for 16.
Basic Box Score Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Starters | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
Jessie Govan | 40 | 9 | 22 | .409 | 8 | 16 | .500 | 1 | 6 | .167 | 6 | 8 | .750 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 25 |
Josh LeBlanc | 36 | 5 | 6 | .833 | 5 | 6 | .833 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | .667 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | |
Greg Malinowski | 32 | 3 | 8 | .375 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 3 | 7 | .429 | 4 | 6 | .667 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
James Akinjo | 31 | 2 | 10 | .200 | 0 | 5 | .000 | 2 | 5 | .400 | 11 | 12 | .917 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 17 |
Jamorko Pickett | 30 | 5 | 12 | .417 | 3 | 5 | .600 | 2 | 7 | .286 | 1 | 2 | .500 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
Reserves | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
Jahvon Blair | 22 | 2 | 9 | .222 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2 | 8 | .250 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Jagan Mosely | 20 | 2 | 2 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | |
Kaleb Johnson | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
School Totals | 225 | 29 | 70 | .414 | 18 | 36 | .500 | 11 | 34 | .324 | 25 | 33 | .758 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 23 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 94 |
Hey @StJohnsBBall , great win today over #Georgetown... keep it going! We Are St. John's! pic.twitter.com/gJL23qkrIa
— Valerie Pfundstein (@ValPfundstein) January 5, 2019
Here's the list of high-major freshman since 1992 who have averaged 10 & 8 with 1 steal, 1 block and shot > 60%.
— Nolan (@NationWideNolan) January 5, 2019
1. Anthony Davis
2. Zion Williamson
3. Josh LeBlanc
(sure, the pace that we're playing at has inflated his counting numbers, but he's still only played 24MPG.)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAC MCCLUNG @McclungMac pic.twitter.com/Dq1ciV5ud3
— Overtime (@overtime) January 6, 2019