WASHINGTON — Shamorie Ponds made six 3-pointers and had 37 points and five assists as St. John’s beat Georgetown 97-94 in overtime on Saturday to snap a 13-game losing streak against the Hoyas in the nation’s capital.
The Johnnies had lost 13 straight games at Georgetown, with its last win on Jan. 18, 2003.
“We were definitely aware of it,” Ponds said. “We talked about it after we got the win. We fought and came out with a win.”
The Red Storm (14-1, 2-1 Big East) started overtime on a 7-1 run and Ponds made 1 of 2 free throws with 23 seconds left for a 97-94 lead. The Hoyas (11-4, 1-2) had two looks at a potential tying 3-pointer but James Akinjo didn’t hit the rim and Jahvon Blair’s open shot from the wing bounced out.
Georgetown led by five points with 52 seconds left in regulation but Ponds made two free throws with 14 seconds left and LJ Figueroa came up with a steal and sank two free throws to tie it with 11.3 seconds to play.
“I forget who was next to me but we had a great trap and he lost the ball and it ended up in our favor,” Figueroa said.
Justin Simon added 14 points with nine rebounds and six assists for St. John’s.
Jessie Govan had 25 points and 11 rebounds and Josh LeBlanc also had a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards for Georgetown. The Hoyas had five players score in double figures for the first time since last season’s home game against St. John’s.
It was the 112th meeting between the teams. The win also served as a perfect birthday gift for legendary St. John’s coach Lou Carnesecca, who turned 94.
“I talked to [Coach Carnesecca] before the game and that’s all he wanted, to win against Georgetown, so I’m glad that happened for him,” Red Storm coach Chris Mullin said. “I think there’s tremendous excitement, optimism, and a good feeling. I think it’s great that our fanbase has watched us throughout. They watched us struggle, improve, and now watch them have success. It’s a genuine and authentic way to go about it.”