St. John’s Puts End to Hoyas’ Streak

This time, defense alone couldn’t save Georgetown or its 29-game winning streak. The Hoyas, behind by as many as 18 points in the second half, fought back with their best weapon: their bothersome, pressure defense.

As always, that defense put Georgetown in position to win. But the top-ranked Hoyas missed a possible seven out of eight free throws--including six straight--during a stretch in the final six minutes and lost their first game of the season, 66-65, to third-ranked St. John’s at the Capital Centre.

Georgetown’s Michael Jackson made a driving, hanging bank-shot with six seconds left for the game’s final points. Chris Mullin held the ball out of bounds until making the inbounds pass with one second left, in effect running out the clock on Georgetown.

The loss probably means that the Hoyas (18-1 overall, 7-1 in the Big East) will drop from the No. 1 spot in the rankings for the first time this season.

St. John’s victory was the third-straight time the Redmen (15-1, 7-0) have beaten Georgetown at Capital Centre. St. John’s Coach Lou Carnesecca called that, “A phenomena, an unusual thing.” Georgetown’s last loss, in fact, came to St. John’s last February at Capital Centre.

“The last time we lost, it was to St. John’s, and it feels the same this time as it did then,” said Georgetown All-American Patrick Ewing, who was held to nine points, including three field goals in seven attempts. “I hate to lose, anytime.”

Georgetown Coach John Thompson discounted the theory that losing might take the pressure off the Hoyas.

“Losing never helped me do anything,” Thompson said. “Pressure has been a life style with us because we’d really gotten accustomed to winning. I don’t know what effect it’s going to have on us yet.”

St. John’s took a 57-39 lead with just less than 11 minutes to play on a coast-to-coast dunk by Mullin, who escaped the defensive pressure of David Wingate and freshman Perry McDonald to score 20 points.

Carnesecca said he knew his team would have to survive one more of Georgetown’s now-famous bursts before it could finish the upset. “You knew it was coming,” he said. “I just wanted us to have enough cushion to survive it.”

St. John’s built its lead (40-30 at halftime) with a good blend of inside play and outside shooting. Sophomore Walter Berry, who had 14 points and 13 rebounds, helped build the lead with a couple of vicious dunks and blocked three of Georgetown’s shots.

As it turned out, the cushion wasn’t a bit too thick. Georgetown scored on five consecutive possessions, on a jumper by Billy Martin, a free throw by McDonald, a jumper by Horace Broadnax, and a three-point play by Wingate, who led the Hoyas with 16 points. That pulled Georgetown within 57-47.

Carnesecca, who earlier called a timeout when Georgetown scored two straight baskets, did so again, with 8:39 left.

Mullin sank a fadeaway jumper, but Ewing’s free throws, and a jumper by Broadnax made it 59-51.

“Was I scared? No,” St. John’s center Bill Wennington said. “Thinking a lot? Yes.”

Had Georgetown made its free throws on its next three possessions, it could have almost completely wiped out St. John’s big lead in less than six minutes. But the Hoyas made only 11 of 22 foul shots for the game, and none in those three possessions.

But after Berry missed a scoop shot, Martin missed the front end of a one-and-one that left the Hoyas down by eight. Martin stole the ball from Ron Stewart in the open court, but again missed the front end of a one-and-one.

After Wennington committed a traveling violation, Ewing, who also had 15 rebounds, was fouled in the act of shooting, but missed both of his foul shots. The Hoyas were still down by eight.

“We’ve been sort of snakebitten by the free-throw thing the last few years,” Thompson said. “I think you create (a problem) by overemphasizing it. We practice a lot on free throws; maybe we should stop practicing so much.”

Still, the Redmen couldn’t finish Georgetown. St. John’s missed a few free throws itself, Berry fouled out with about a minute left, and Georgetown’s defense seemed to get tougher by the second.

As Mullin said, “Luckily, it was only a 40-minute game.”

Georgetown pulled within five points several times. With 1:35 left, Jackson was fouled but could make only the first of two free throws. Then, after Mullin’s free throws made it 65-60, Jackson was called for traveling while driving to the basket.

“If you get a look at the game film, you’ll see it wasn’t that crowded in there,” Jackson said. “What you want to do at that stage is penetrate and create (and hopefully draw a foul while sinking a shot). I thought I was bumped, but I guess the call was a good one.”

Jackson would get fouled going to the hoop again, and again make only one of two free throws.

“Even with everything that went wrong,” Ewing said, “if we capitalize on our foul shooting, we may have won.”

Afterward, much of the discussion turned to which team should be ranked No. 1. SMU is No. 2; the Redmen are third. Thompson said he thought SMU should be ranked No. 1, but that was before the Mustangs were upset Saturday night by Texas Tech.