NEW YORK (AP) -Larry Wright scored 16 points, including two free throws in the final 19 seconds, and St. John’s beat Providence 64-62 on Saturday, the Red Storm’s third straight win after a six-game losing streak.
Weyinmi Efejuku had a chance to tie the game for Providence with one tenth of a second left, but missed the first of two free throws and then bounced the second off the rim intentionally.
It was the second time this season Efejuku, a 70 percent free throw shooter, couldn’t bring the Friars into a tie with free throws with less than a second to play. He made one of two from the line with two-tenths left in Providence’s 68-67 loss to South Carolina on Dec. 8.
Sean Evans had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Red Storm (10-12, 4-7 Big East), who won again without leading scorer Anthony Mason Jr. (13.5 points). He injured his ankle in the win over South Florida and also missed the victory at Rutgers on Wednesday.
St. John’s took the lead for good at 59-57 on a layup by Justin Burrell with 2:09 left.
Eugene Lawrence hit a 3-pointer – his only field goal of the second half – as the shot clock ran out to give St. John’s a 62-57 lead with 29 seconds to go.
Dwaine Williams made two free throws for the Friars (13-10, 4-7) 4 seconds later. After Wright made one of two from the line with 19 seconds to go, Williams hit a 3 with 8.5 seconds left to make it 63-62.
Wright, a 78 percent free throw shooter, again went 1-for-2 from the line with 6.4 seconds left.
Jeff Xavier was 5-for-8 from 3-point range and had 19 points for the Friars, while Randall Hanke added 16 points and Geoff McDermott had eight points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
McDermott made one free throw with 7:05 left to give Providence a 57-50 lead. But the Friars missed seven straight shots and committed two turnovers as the Red Storm went on a 9-0 run to take the lead for good.
Providence shot 53.5 percent from the field (23-for-43). The Friars had been 7-0 this season in games they shot better than 50 percent.
Providence had won 10 of the last 11 meetings in the series that dates to 1927 and St. John’s now leads 55-40.
The win gave St. John’s a 400-74 record in Carnesecca Arena, the on-campus building that opened Dec. 4, 1961.
Add A Comment