NEW YORK (AP) - Shamorie Ponds scored 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting to become the third freshman in St. John’s history to score 500 points in a season, and the Red Storm rallied to beat Georgetown 86-80 on Saturday to end a two-game skid.
Bashir Ahmed and Frederico Mussini scored 16 apiece for St. John’s (13-16, 7-9 Big East), which was outrebounded 36-29 but scored 25 points off 22 Georgetown turnovers.
Ahmed’s 3-pointer put St. John’s up by seven, 48-41, early in the second half. Georgetown closed to within a point four times but the Red Storm found answers and led by nine, 76-67, on Amar Alibegovic’s dunk with 2:14 left. Georgetown scored six straight and closed to 78-77, then to 82-80 on L.J. Peak’s 3-point play with 25 seconds left. Marcus Lovett and Malik Ellison each hit two from the line and St. John’s held on.
Mussini scored 11 in a 17-0 St. John’s run for a 29-18 lead, but Georgetown rallied with a 17-0 run and led 36-35 at halftime.
Rodney Pryor scored 22 points with five 3-pointers and Peak added 20 for Georgetown (14-15, 5-11), which has lost three straight.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.