box score
audio - coach john thompson III, jeremiah rivers, jessie sapp & vernon macklin
15:27.
That's how long Georgetown kept St. John's from recording a field goal to start Wednesday night's Big East contest at Madison Square Garden.
The Hoyas obliterated the Red Storm 74-42 in a game that generated all kinds of jaw-dropping numbers.
St. John's turned the ball over on their first three possessions and nearly committed a shot clock violation the first two times down the court.
Justin Burrell's bank shot ended a stretch that spanned three media time outs, included 12 turnovers and saw 11 missed field goals by the home team. It is possible that this was the longest field goal drought to begin a Division I college basketball game in the shot clock era.
A sarcastic standing ovation from several St. John's fans was the closest thing to applause the Red Storm earned all night as Georgetown's lead was cut to 31-7.
If Burrell had not scored again from the floor with :33 left in the half, St. John's would have equaled Penn's record-setting solitary field goal from their embarrassing first half against Florida Gulf Coast earlier this season.
The Red Storm's assist-to-turnover ratio in the first twenty minutes? 1:13.
Georgetown went to the break up 41-14, bringing back memories of a 41-9 Hoya advantage at St. John's in 1982. John Thompson II's team then scored the first 12 points after intermission.
It only took 5:35 for St. John's to score in the second half on a Malik Boothe layup in transition.
When Patrick Ewing got free on the left baseline for a two-handed throw-down, the lead was at its apex of 39 and the Hoyas were more than tripling their opponent's point total with 15 minutes still to be played.
It was St. John's worst-ever loss in Big East play and the first time the Red Storm had not scored at least 40 points in a game since 1963. If Georgetown had been shut out in the second half, they would have lost - by one.
Backup center Vernon Macklin was the game's high scorer, recording a career-best 18 points on 8-10 shooting, including a lovely jumper banked off the glass when spinning to his left. Macklin continues to struggle at the foul line, but showed diversity and depth to his game not seen previously this season. Jessie Saap added 10 on the strength of three shots from behind the arc and Roy Hibbert had 11 of his own in 19 minutes of play.
Patrick Ewing Jr. started in place of injured Georgetown forward DaJuan Summers. Coach Thompson said following the game that he went to bed last night under the impression Summers would play but learned today from the team medical staff that it would be unwise for Summers to suit up.
