For the fourth straight college basketball season, Butler has lost its Big East opener.
Freshman guard Shamorie Ponds scored 26 points, and St. John’s rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat the 13th-ranked Bulldogs 76-73 Thursday night at Queens, N.Y.
Butler was the highest-ranked opponent beaten by St. John’s since a win over No. 13 Syracuse on Feb. 23, 1983, when coach Chris Mullin was on the St. John’s team.
St. John’s, trailing by five points, outscored Butler 12-4 over the closing two minutes. Butler’s Kelan Martin hit the front rim on a halfcourt 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime.