Updated

Queens, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - D'Angelo Harrison posted 21 points to guide No. 20 St. John's to a 53-47 victory over St. Mary's on Friday.

Sir'Dominic Pointer gave 11 points and 11 rebounds and Chris Obekpa added eight points and seven rebounds for the Red Storm (9-1), who have won their past five games.

Brad Waldow gave 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Gaels (6-3), who have lost two of their last three games.

"Waldow is as effective a big man as there is," praised St. John's head coach Steve Lavin. "In a deliberate old-fashioned way, he wears down opponents."

St. John's trailed by 15 to start the second half, but began the final 20 minutes with a 7-0 run and an 8-0 spurt a bit later had the team within 37-33 after a Harrison 3-pointer 6 1/2 minutes in.

A 10-0 surge from the Red Storm saw the team go on top for good after Pointer put in a pair of free throws during the run to give the team the lead and he finished the burst with a layup for a 45-41 advantage with 7 1/2 minutes left.

Dane Pineau hit a free throw with just under three minutes to play to get the Gaels within 48-47, but Pointer countered with a jumper, and the Gaels missed their final six shots, along with a pair of free throws the rest of the way.

St. Mary's led for much of the first half, with a late 7-0 run helping the team take a 33-18 lead into the break.

Game Notes

St. John's shot 35.8 percent while St. Mary's made 35.3 percent of its attempts ... The Gaels dominated the boards, 47-29 ... The Red Storm led the series, 2-1. The last contest was in 2010, which the Gaels won.