Shamorie Ponds of the St. John's Red Storm handles the...

Shamorie Ponds of the St. John's Red Storm handles the ball on offense against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Carnesecca Arena on Jan. 1. Credit: Steven Ryan

Perhaps the month of January is too early in the college basketball season for a must-win game. Shamorie Ponds doesn’t think so.

The star guard has his sights set on Sunday’s noon matchup with Georgetown at Madison Square Garden. He knows that the Red Storm (15-4, 3-4 Big East) have lost three of four conference road games, including last Saturday’s at Butler. And he can read a schedule: St. John’s next three games are at Creighton, at No. 2 Duke and at No. 12 Marquette.

“It’s definitely a big game. I’d say this is a must-win for us,” Ponds said Friday after St. John's practiced at the Garden. “We can’t drop two in a row and definitely not lose at home. I feel like this game is major, with us going on the road, to boost our confidence.”

There have been a slew of close games in Big East play this season, including St. John’s overtime victory at Georgetown on Jan. 5. The Red Storm scored four points in the final 12 seconds of regulation to force OT and then scored nine of the first 10 points in the extra frame to prevail. The Hoyas (12-7, 2-4) have lost three of four since by a total of 13 points. And they will have third-leading scorer Mac McClung back after he missed the teams’ first meeting with an injury.

The seven days off between games could benefit the Red Storm from a health standpoint. Ponds missed the Jan. 12 home loss to DePaul with a lower-back strain before returning for the past two games and said he is “close to 100 percent.” Marvin Clark II tweaked an ankle at Butler but pronounced himself “good to go.”

Only two Big East teams have a winning record in conference road games: first-place Villanova and Marquette. Ponds said playing away from home is much tougher.

“At home, a lot of guys make shots. That’s one. And the crowds at these away games are unbelievable,” he said. “When you get crowds involved, it boosts their confidence and they just start hitting. They don’t miss at home.”

Those circumstances — and the fact that eight teams are either 3-4, 3-5 or 2-4 – amplify the importance of this game for the Red Storm.

 “You’ve got to take care of the home court. We dropped one against DePaul and that one kind of hurts. That’s a feeling we never want to feel again,” Clark said. “In order to do what we want to do this season, we have to win at home. We have to take care of the home court. We know we have the talent and ability to sneak some on the road.”

Coach Chris Mullin was bothered by stretches of lackadaisical play against Butler. The stage of the Garden has the potential to take care of that. 

“Every game here is like a moment. Each Garden game is a moment,” he said. “[It’s] the crowd here. It’s the Mecca of basketball. That’s why you come to play at St. John’s. The Garden is unbelievable to me.”

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