Georgetown Erases Lead, Tops St. John’s, 73-72

Sunday, February 2

New York, N.Y. (Madison Square Garden)

1 p.m.

St. John's University

13-10,2-8BE

Georgetown

13-9,3-6BE

Georgetown

St. John's

2/2/2020 4:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)VIDEO: Postgame Press Conference Postgame Quotes Photo Gallery Photo Gallery

Red Storm Edged by Hoyas on Sunday at Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK – Georgetown led just once in the second half, but it was on the only possession that mattered, as an Omer Yurtseven layup with 10 seconds remaining sealed a 73-72 win for the Hoyas at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

The 73-72 advantage was the first for Georgetown (13-9, 3-6 BIG EAST) since leading 20-19 with nine minutes to play in the first half. The Red Storm (13-10, 2-8 BIG EAST), which led by as many as 17 early in the second half, committed a turnover on the game's final possession.

After surrendering no turnovers in the opening 20 minutes of action, the Red Storm coughed up 12 possessions in the latter half. The Hoyas subsequently converted those 12 second-period miscues into 12 points.

The Hoyas shot 57.1 percent from the floor in the second half after the Johnnies limited Georgetown to just 28.6 percent shooting in the opening period.

Rasheem Dunn led the way for the Johnnies with 16 points. The junior from Brooklyn also tallied four boards and three assists.

Mustapha Heron also finished with 16 points, sinking four triples and going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Freshman Julian Champagnie recorded his second collegiate double-double, scoring 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and grabbing 10 boards, four of which were on the offensive glass. The Bishop Loughlin product also added three steals.

LJ Figueroa also came away with three steals in addition to tallying nine points, six rebounds and four assists.

Georgetown started the contest by missing its first eight field goal tries, falling behind 7-2 following a Dunn and-one with four minutes gone in the game. The Hoyas responded with a 10-0 run, as the Red Storm missed seven straight chances of their own over the next four minutes.

Trailing 12-7 with 12:25 to go, the Red Storm outscored the Hoyas 10-2 over the next three minutes, taking a 17-14 lead following consecutive Heron triples.

Back-to-back Georgetown treys put the Hoyas on top, 20-17, with nine minutes to go before the Johnnies turned the tide. The Red Storm scored nine straight and 19 of the game's next 23 points, jumping ahead 36-24 with 2:49 left until the break. Marcellus Earlington led the way with seven points on the tear while Georgetown went 2-for-10 from the floor and committed three turnovers during that span. Figueroa and Dunn each added five for the Johnnies during that spurt.

Georgetown then rattled off five straight to pull within seven, but a Dunn foul-line floater to beat the buzzer bumped the Johnnies' halftime cushion to nine, 38-29.

The Red Storm jumped ahead by as many as 17 in the early going of the second half, as a Josh Roberts put-back slam capped a 6-0 spurt and put the Johnnies on top 50-33 with 16:04 to play.

The Hoyas quickly trimmed their deficit back to single digits, using a 10-2 run to move within nine, 52-43, less than two minutes later.

The Red Storm moved back ahead by as many as 13, 58-45, before the Hoyas kick started a 19-6 run that knotted the contest at 64, as the Johnnies ceded the lead for the first time since the nine minute mark of the half.

St. John's scored the game's next four points to jump ahead 68-64, but Jagan Mosely drilled a three to pull the Hoyas back within one. The two teams then traded buckets over the next few minutes, as a Yurtseven turnaround jumper moved the Hoyas back within one, 72-71, with 50 seconds to play. The Red Storm subsequently committed a shot clock violation on the ensuing possession, setting up the game-winning bucket for Yurtseven.

The Red Storm returns to action on Saturday, traveling to Omaha for a 6 p.m. tilt with the Creighton Bluejays. That contest will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and 570 AM WMCA.