Senior WeekIn anticipation of the home finale versus Seton Hall, this week has featured retrospectives on the graduating seniors (including one graduate student) playing their final in-season home games for the Hoyas this Saturday.Georgetown 83, DePaul 72
A 26 point effort from Jessie Govan and a run of costly DePaul turnovers extended Georgetown's post-season hopes in an 83-72 win Wednesday before 5,176 at Capital One Arena.POST-GAME COVERAGE
Like many Georgetown-DePaul games of recent memory, this was a sloppy, uncomfortable game to watch. Both teams struggled offensively and poor decisions were seen throughout. The Blue Demons led for just 14 seconds in the game on a pair of baskets by center Femi Olujobi but failed to establish any offensive tempo. Georgetown held a narrow lead through much of a first half where DePaul gave up 11 turnovers, but it was not until the last seven minutes that the Hoyas got in gear. From a 29-27 score, the Hoyas went on a 13-2 run capped by a Josh LeBlanc three, 40-29.Absent much from the Demons, a Mac McClung dunk was the talk of the CBS Sports Network announcers as Georgetown pushed its lead to 11 with 2:19 in the half, and then closed on a 7-0 run to take a 49-34 lead into the break. Despite the Demons shooting 60 percent from inside the arc, its 11 turnovers provided GU 13 points of its 15 point lead. DePaul made a pair of runs in the second half, and Jessie Govan was there at each turn. DePaul closed to 12, 61-49, before Govan added a three, 64-49, and repeated the exercise two minutes later to keep the Hoyas ahead, 67-54. Georgetown's defense was lacking for much of the game. The next DePaul rally was borne from the hands of senior Eli Cain, held to 1-5 shooting in the first half but who finished with 14 points. Cain connected on three consecutive threes to close to 69-60, but senior Trey Mourning converted on consecutive possessions to push the lead back to 13, 73-60 with 5:35 to play. Despite the healthy lead, Georgetown's defense allowed DePaul frequent opportunities to get back in the game, but to no avail. A wayward Mac McClung three was answered by a DePaul turnover with 4:03 to play, and on an ensuing foul DePaul's Jaylen Butz missed both free throws that would have closed to nine. Georgetown did not make a field goal the final 4:39 of the game, relying on exchange of free throws to maintain its wobbly advantage. A basket by Max Strus with closed to 78-68 at the 2:18 mark, followed by back to back turnovers from both teams. Up 10 with 1:18 to play, Govan launched an ill-advised three and the Blue Demons finally responded with a inside drive and a foul shot, 78-71, with 1:05 to play. Again, the Hoyas could not close the door, with a long miss from Greg Malinowski giving DePaul hopes, except that the visitors jacked up a three instead of an inside bucket, and turned the ball over with 19 seconds to play. DePaul got 67 of 73 points from its starting five, with Strus leading the way with 25. For Georgetown, coach Patrick Ewing got valuable aid from Trey Mourning and Jagan Mosely, starting in place of a benched Jamorko Pickett. Mosely scored 7 points and four rebounds while Mourning finished 4 for 4 from two point range for eight points and three rebounds. The two teams meet a week from Wednesday in Chicago. With all its miscues, DePaul should be better prepared in the rematch. Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Akinjo 33 3-8 1-4 4-4 3 1 0 13
McClung 28 5-7 1-6 2-2 2 2 2 15
Mosely 26 2-3 1-2 0-0 4 1 4 7
LeBlanc 25 2-3 1-1 1-2 7 1 2 8
Govan 32 7-14 3-4 3-4 6 1 1 26
Reserves:
Blair 12 0-0 0-1 0-0 3 4 0 0
Malinowski 10 0-1 0-2 0-0 0 0 1 0
Johnson 16 2-4 0-0 1-2 3 1 3 5
Mourning 18 4-4 0-1 0-0 3 0 1 8
Team Rebounds 3
DNP: Pickett, Muresan, Robinson, Carter
TOTALS 200 25-44 7-21 11-14 34 11 14 82
Creighton 82, Georgetown 69
A disappointing 82-69 loss at Creighton before a national Fox TV audience may be a turning point to which this team's NCAA hopes may not cross again.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
"We don't handle success very well," said a candid Patrick Ewing in post-game comments. "Great teams back up what they did [against Villanova]. Mediocre teams did what we did today."Georgetown stood in prime position to make its case with an NCAA at-large bid following its win over Villanova. With a pair of home games later this week, the Hoyas would have been a popular pick to join the discussion into the field of 68 for the first time since 2015. A cold start - figuratively and literally - cost the Hoyas in a big way. As USA Today noted, "Right after the Hoyas had played themselves into the field as a No. 12 seed by knocking off Villanova earlier in the week, they shot themselves in the foot" with the loss. The Bluejays scored the first eight points of the game, setting the course for a game Georgetown continually played from behind. Georgetown didn't get its first basket for the first 2:49 of the half, but a sloppy first half from both teams kept the margin in range. Back to back baskets by Mac McClung closed to 8-7. McClung would not make another field goal for the rest of the game, and turnovers were the order of the half. In the first nine minutes, the teams combined for 11 turnovers, and 17 by halftime. From a 3 for 13 start to open the game, Georgetown made its best run midway in the first half, hitting six of its next seven. Back to back threes from Greg Malinowski gave GU a 22-21 lead at the 7:36 mark, only to have Creighton reserve guard Kaleb Joseph lead the Bluejays on a 14-2 run, behind eight from Joseph. The Jays ended the half shooting 59 percent from the field, leading by as many as 12 before a pair of baskets by Jessie Govan and one from James Akinjo closed to six at the half, 40-34. Shooting a creditable 47 percent, Georgetown was certainly in this game at intermission. The game turned in the opening minutes of the second. Georgetown opened with five three point shot attempts, and missed them all. By the time Malinowski hit a three with 14:51 to play, the Hoyas were down 15, 53-38. The GU starters were completely ineffective and spent much of the second half on the bench, where its second line of Jagan Mosely, Jahvon Blair, Greg Malinowski, Kaleb Johnson, and Trey Mourning put together a pair of rallies for the Hoyas. Much of the second half charge came from guard Jahvon Blair, with 16 second half points. Blair scored five straight midway in the second to help close the gap to 59-50 with 9:35 to play, but the Jays answered with a Joseph layup and a three from Krampelj, who had 16 points in the second half and 22 for the game. "We were getting them spaced out, we were attacking gaps, we were getting into the paint," said Joseph. "We got easy looks." Baskets by Blair and Kaleb Johnson got the Hoyas back to ten, 64-54, but Krampelj added three free throws and guard Ty-Shon Alexander sank a three to go up 16 at the 5:56 mark. Georgetown never closed within 12 thereafter. One could not have asked for a worse second half from the Georgetown starting five, which contributed a total of just seven points after the break. Despite the best efforts of Blair and Malinowski, it wasn't enough.  Patrick Ewing used four of his five timeouts in the first half, leaving him unable to affect much in the way of momentum after halftime. "They're a unique team," Ewing said in post game remarks. "They spread you out and they space the floor...but still, we're a good enough team that we should be able to have handled it." For the second time against Creighton this year, and its fifth straight loss to the Jays since 2015, Georgetown was unable to do so. On to DePaul. Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Akinjo 25 3-6 0-0 1-2 1 8 1 7
McClung 17 2-3 1-5 1-2 0 0 2 6
Pickett 16 0-1 0-3 0-0 2 1 0 0
LeBlanc 22 3-8 0-0 1-2 7 0 2 7
Govan 24 3-5 1-3 0-0 3 0 2 9
Reserves:
Blair 22 2-3 3-5 3-3 5 1 2 16
Mosely 19 0-0 0-0 0-0 4 3 1 0
Malinowski 26 0-0 4-9 0-0 3 4 2 12
Johnson 18 2-3 0-0 0-0 2 1 2 4
Mourning 11 3-3 0-3 2-2 1 1 4 8
Team Rebounds
DNP: Muresan, Robinson, Carter
TOTALS 200 17-32 9-28 8-11 28 19 18 69
Post-Game CommentsBig East Attendance2/18/19 Big East average attendance figures through February 17:
Georgetown 85, Villanova 73
The last time Villanova lost two straight in the Big East, Georgetown was ranked #5 in the nation and Jessie Govan was a high school junior. Mac McClung was in 7th grade.
The win was Georgetown's first since 2015 against the 17th ranked Wildcats and ends a nine game losing streak. It's also Patrick Ewing's first win over a ranked team in his two year tenure.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Jessie Govan scored the first four points for Georgetown but it was freshman Mac McClung that set the tone for the first half. In a three minute ruin McClung hit his first three shots, part of an 11-2 Georgetown run that gave the Hoyas a 15-8 lead. "McClung did a great job early," said Villanova coach Jay Wright following the game. "I felt like we got good shots early but we couldn't make them. Then McClung got hot." Following a pair of baskets by Kaleb Johnson, Villanova had closed to 23-19 at the 8:37 mark of the first half when McClung went back to work, scoring on three straight possessions: two threes and a basket and foul to put GU up 32-25. Free throws from McClung and Govan built the lead to 36-28, and the Hoyas added to Nova's misery with back to back threes by James Akinjo and Jamorko Pickett, 42-28. A late run by the Cats closed to ten at the break, 42-32, in a first half that saw McClung finish with 17 and Phil Booth with 15 of Villanova's 32 points. Where Mac McClung was the star of the first half, Jessie Govan stood tall in the second. The 6-10 senior scored Georgetown's first eight points of the second half, fending off a Villanova run which had closed the margin to six points less than four minutes into the second half. "There were a couple of possessions there where we had a chance to keep them to a two or four point lead and then Govan gets an offensive rebound," Wright said. "There were a lot of little things like that they did a good job of." Following an 8-0 Georgetown run to take a 58-43 lead at the 13:12 mark, the Wildcats answered with a 8-2 run with threes from Paschall and freshman Jahvon Quinerly to close to 60-51 midway through the second half. Over the next three possessions, Georgetown staked its claim to the win. Ewing's "second team" were in the game and again they exceeded expectations. On georgetown's next series, Trey Mourning hit a three pointer to extend the lead to 63-51. Following a Villanova basket, Jahvon Blair expertly led the Wildcats into an unbalanced defensive effort and swung the ball to Greg malinowski, who answered with a three, 66-53. Josh LeBlanc's fourth foul at the 7:53 mark sent Paschall to the line, but he missed the front end of the one and one and Georgetown's second line would cash in again. Blair sank a long three to extend the three, 69-53 with 6:21. When four starters returned to the lineup a minute later, the cheers from the Capital One Arena crowd were justifiably raised on the efforts of Mourning, Malinowski, Blair, and Mosely. The one reserve that remained continued his unsung efforts for this team. Senior forward Kaleb Johnson contributed a basket, a pair of free throws, and a pair of rebounds to bring the Hoyas to a game high 19 point lead, 75-56, at the 4:01 mark. On Fb. 3, we wrote that "For 33 minutes Georgetown stood toe to toe with the #14 Villanova Wildcats, but a 16-2 Wildcats run paved the way" for Villanova to come back. The Cats may have been overdue for its run, but it arrived following the final media time out with a full court press and more urgency than VU had shown all evening. A pair of free throws by Booth were the introduction to a run of back to back Georgetown turnovers that sparked the Wildcats, with a third consecutive turnover narrowly averted at the 2:56 mark when McClung recovered his own turnover and found a wide open Govan for a dunk, 77-60. A free throw by Collin Gillespie closed to 77-61, and off the missed free throw which followed, the Wildcats picked up the offensive rebound and fed Gillespie for the three, its only three pointer in the final 11:18 of the half, 77-64. Even with a double digit lead, Georgetown fans had seen this play out before. A pair of VU free throws closed the Georgetown lead to 12 at the 1:05 mark, 82-70, as Georgetown continued to have trouble against a full court Wildcat press. A Govan dunk brought some fan relief, 84-70 at the 0:55 mark, whereupon the Wildcats missed three straight shots before a fifth foul on Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree signaled that the Cats had, for one evening, anyway, run out of time. "It was a great win," said Patrick Ewing after the game. "We had our opportunities to win at Villanova...We learned from the mistakes we made that day." Govan and McClung each finished with 21 points. James Akinjo and Jamorko Pickett continued to struggle shooting from the field but played a good game throughout. Akinjo contributed 10 points with nine assists, while Pickett had seven points without a turnover. Josh Leblanc, sidelined with foul trouble much of the game, scored four points in limited action. In Georgetown's better wins this year, it was a team effort and such was the case Wednesday. Seventeen of McClung's 21 points came in the first half, and when he cooled down, others stepped forward -- Johnson, Malinowski, Blair, to name a few-- but Govan owned the second half inside and Villanova's perimeter defense offered him numerous opportunities in the second half. Held scoreless when the two teams met Feb. 3 at the Wells Fargo Center, Govan finished Wednesday's game with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4-4 from the line, and only one turnover. "I thought it was a total team effort," Ewing said. Everyone did something to help us win." The Georgetown stat sheet should bring a smile to those who struggled through GU's recent setbacks. The Hoyas shot 50 percent from the field, 39 percent from three (11 of 28), with 23 of its 29 field goals via assist. They did not make the kind of mistakes that would have tipped the scales to the Wildcats--Villanova managed only 10 second chance points on the evening and were outrebounded by the Hoyas by a margin of 39 to 33. For a team that feasts on the free throw line, Villanova was held to just 14 points at the line. "We had a few lapses," said Booth in post-game remarks. "McClung got going and Govan got it going. There were a couple of lapses here and there and they're a real good team. That's what happens when you have those against a real good team." "They came to play," said Eric Paschall, who finished with 16 points but only three rebounds matching up against Govan. Villanova has dropped three of four games and the root of its problem Wednesday was visible all evening: ridiculously poor shot selection. The Wildcats missed a remarkable 29 of 38 attempts from three point range and no one on the team was spared from the masonry which ensued. Phil Booth entered the game shooting 37 percent from behind the arc--his 3 for 10 was a team best. Eric paschall, a 37 percent shooter from three but a more effective force inside, nonetheless channeled his inner Jalen Brunson but finished 2 for 8. Saddiq Bey was 1-6 while fifth year transfer Joe Cremo, with a team best 39 percent mark from outside, was 0 for 5. The Wildcats finished the first half 4 for 14, they topped than in the second with a 4 for 24 effort, including a studding 1 of its last 17. If as few as four of those shots could have been converted into more realistic two pointers, this is a fight to the finish. In an evening that saw all sorts of unexpected finishes (Providence routing St. John's, Xavier upsetting Seton Hall, and Creighton beating DePaul), this win was an especially timely one to maintain Georgetown's posture heading into the final weeks of Big East conference play. Next up: a sold out CHI Health Center (nee Century Link Arena), where Creighton faces another must-win to elevate the Blue Jays out of the conference cellar and the Hoyas seek their first win in Omaha since 2015. Georgetown broke one four year streak tonight, another awaits Saturday. Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Akinjo 32 1-4 2-5 2-2 3 9 2 10
McClung 31 2-4 4-8 5-5 5 4 2 21
Pickett 27 1-2 1-7 2-4 1 1 0 7
LeBlanc 15 2-3 0-0 0-0 3 1 4 4
Govan 32 7-10 1-2 4-4 11 2 3 21
Reserves:
Blair 9 0-0 1-1 0-0 1 2 0 3
Mosely 14 1-1 0-1 0-0 0 2 1 2
Malinowski 9 0-0 1-2 1-2 1 2 2 4
Johnson 23 3-4 0-0 2-2 8 0 2 8
Mourning 8 1-1 1-2 0-1 4 0 3 5
Team Rebounds 2
DNP: Muresan, Robinson, Carter
TOTALS 200 18-29 11-28 16-20 39 23 19 85
Seton Hall 90, Georgetown 75 Georgetown is an opponent guard's best friend.Seton Hall's Myles Powell became the fifth opponent guard to reach 30 points in a game this season, as the Pirates walked over the Hoyas for a fourth consecutive year at Prudential Center, 90-75, before a smaller than expected crowd of just 7,828.POST-GAME ARTICLES "We didn't show up," said head coach Patrick Ewing. "This is our worst loss in my two years here. My guys did not come ready to play." This one got of hand early. Georgetown led 7-6 at the 17;10 mark before the Pirates responded with a 17-2 run, with a run of threes to push the lead to 14 with 13:47 to halftime. The Pirates had six three pointers by halftime compared to a 2 for 9 exhibition from Georgetown, who trailed by as many as 20 in the first half before closing to 48-35 at the break. Seton Hall outrebounded Georgetown 22-14 and forced 10 turnovers on the visiting Hoyas. A 7-0 run to end the first half was fleeting hope, and a Jessie Govan jumper to open the half closed the gap to 11. The Pirates answered with a 15-5 run to take a 63-42 lead with 16 minutes to play, whereupon Patrick Ewing sat four of his starters. The second line fared well, particularly 14 second half points from Greg Malinowski, but the Hoyas closed within 11 three times and could get no closer. The Hoyas missed nine of its final 11 attempts from the field in the game. Absent Greg Malinowski, no one was spared from a poor game. Mac McClung scored all five of his points in the first four minutes and sat out much of the second half. James Akinjo turned in another fitful scoring effort (see below) and was ineffective on defense. Jessie Govan's 20 points masked a spotty defensive effort, as Seton Hall's journeyman center Sandro Mamukelashvili enjoyed three three pointers en route to an 11 point, eight rebound, four assist effort. Seton Hall put four starters in double figures compared to just one for Georgetown, which has dropped two straight and is treading water to stay in the top six in the Big East standings. The Hoyas, now tied with DePaul and Butler, seek to avoid a record fourth straight appearance in the bottom tier round of the Big East, one month from tonight. Its next game, versus #13 Villanova, offers fading hope that Georgetown's defensive lapses will reverse course anytime soon. The Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Akinjo 21 1-5 0-1 4-4 1 1 1 6
McClung 15 0-3 1-2 0-0 0 0 2 3
Pickett 25 0-2 3-6 0-0 1 2 1 9
LeBlanc 27 3-5 0-1 0-0 4 0 1 6
Govan 25 8-11 0-3 4-4 6 2 4 20
Reserves:
Blair 14 1-2 0-2 0-0 1 2 2 2
Mosely 26 2-2 1-2 1-1 3 5 1 8
Malinowski 28 5-5 2-5 0-0 4 4 1 16
Johnson 16 2-5 0-1 1-1 5 1 3 5
Carter 3 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0
Team Rebounds 5
DNP: Muresan, Robinson, Mourning
TOTALS 200 22-43 7-24 10-11 30 17 17 75
Color-FlushedCall it aquamarine, call it tidal blue, but Georgetown's anything but traditional jerseys continue to be under performing colors this season:
Opportunity Lost:
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VP Attends Butler Game
Nine years ago, Barack Obama and Joe Biden took a visit downtown to see the Hoyas play at what is now Capital One Arena. Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence, with political roots in Butler's hometown of Indianapolis, did the same.
— Eli Yokley (@eyokley) February 9, 2019No sign of the President, however, who is the father of of a Georgetown alumnus (Eric, B'2006) and a current Law Center student (Tiffany, L'2020).
NBA: Porter, Monroe Traded
Former Georgetown forward Otto Porter's eight years residence in Washington came to end Wednesday, as the NBA's Washington Wizards traded Porter to the Chicago Bulls in a salary trade.
The Wizards pick up Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis, each of whom will be a free agent after this season. Porter, averaging 12.6 ppg for the Wizards, was scheduled to make $26 million this season from the Wizards (22-31), who have lost guard John Wall for at least 12 months with a ruptured Achilles tendon.Meanwhile, former Georgetown center Greg Monroe was traded Thursday from the Toronto Raptors to the Brooklyn Nets, who are expected to waive Monroe as part of the trade. Monroe's numbers have slipped in 2018-19 to 4.8 points a game.
Govan Passes 1,500 Point Plateau
With his 13 points Wednesday, senior center Jessie Govan becomes the 16th Georgetown player (and only the fourth center) to have reached 1,500 points in a career. The list, below:
| Player | Career | No. | |
| 1. | Eric Floyd | 1978-82 | 2,304 |
| 2. | Patrick Ewing | 1981-85 | 2,184 |
| 3. | Reggie Williams | 1983-87 | 2,117 |
| 4. | Alonzo Mourning | 1988-92 | 2,001 |
| 5. | D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera | 2012-16 | 1,919 |
| 6. | Othella Harrington | 1992-96 | 1,839 |
| 7. | David Wingate | 1982-86 | 1,782 |
| 8. | Austin Freeman | 2007-11 | 1,761 |
| 9. | Michael Sweetney | 2000-03 | 1,750 |
| 10. | Kevin Braswell | 1998-02 | 1,735 |
| 11. | Derrick Jackson | 1974-78 | 1,671 |
| 12. | Mark Tillmon | 1986-90 | 1,598 |
| 13. | John Duren | 1976-80 | 1,588 |
| 14. | Brandon Bowman | 2002-06 | 1,548 |
| 15. | Allen Iverson | 1994-96 | 1,539 |
| 16. | Jessie Govan | 2015-19 | 1,506 |
Georgetown 76, Providence 67
Josh LeBlanc led a balanced scoring effort as the Georgetown Hoyas picked up an important 76-67 win at Providence, its first at the Dunkin' Donuts Center since the 2011-12 season.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
- GUHoyas.com
- Friars.com
- Associated Press
- Big East Coast Bias
- GoLocal Prov
- Providence Journal
- Washington Post
The first half was a grind for both clubs. Early turnovers by the Hoyas were favorable for the Friars, but its poor shooting never allowed them to build any momentum. Both teams suffered through cold shooting late in the half, with georgetown failing to score for nearly four minutes and PC missing 12 consecutive shots at one point.
Down the stretch, the Hoyas caught fire. Back to back baskets by Mac McClung sparked the Hoyas to end the first half on an 11-0 run, capped by a Jessie Govan three at the buzzer and a 34-27 lead, converting all five PC turnovers into baskets in the first half.
Providence scored the first six points of the second half but the Hoyas were there at every turn. On two occasions PC closed to four points in the second half, with Georgetown responding on each occasion. The Friars' run to 47-43 with just under 13 minutes to play was answered by a 10-2 Georgetown run, aided by miserable shooting by the Friars, going just 1 of 8 in that span.
Poor shooting was the Friars' foil the entire evening. Trailing 68-59 with 4:26 to play, PC did not make a basket for nearly three minutes down the stretch, with three misses, a missed free throw, and three turnovers as the Hoyas built a 14 point lead that held solid in the final two minutes of play.
LeBlanc's play was outstanding on both sides of the court. He finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and a perfect 6-6 from the line.
All five Georgetown starters finished in double figures. James Akinjo earned his finish at the foul line, having shot just 1 for 11 from the field on the evening. Jamorko Pickett's 4 for 4 from three were all timely, as the Hoyas finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field and 38 percent (7-18) from three, while the Friars managed just 37 percent shooting and a 4-22 scatter shooting from outside the arc. The Hoyas also got strong bench help from Kaleb Johnson, with nine points and four rebounds in a reserve effort.
With the win, Georgetown has returned to .500 in the conference and earned its 15th win of the season, matching its total from last season.
The Georgetown half of the box score:Josh LeBlanc is a walking double-double and Patrick Ewing has Georgetown on the rise in the Big East. Hoyas beat Providence at Providence. Never a doubt.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) February 7, 2019
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Akinjo 34 1-8 0-3 8-10 4 8 4 10
McClung 34 4-8 1-4 2-3 6 5 0 13
Pickett 22 0-2 4-4 0-2 3 0 3 12
LeBlanc 30 4-7 1-1 6-6 11 0 4 17
Govan 33 5-10 1-3 0-0 7 1 1 13
Reserves:
Blair 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0
Mosely 12 0-0 0-2 0-0 2 0 2 0
Malinowski 10 0-0 0-1 0-0 4 1 1 0
Johnson 12 4-4 0-0 1-2 4 0 2 9
Mourning 9 1-2 0-0 0-0 2 0 3 2
Team Rebounds
DNP: Muresan, Robinson, Carter
TOTALS 200 19-41 7-18 17-23 44 15 20 76
Forbes: Georgetown "On Schedule"
A column at Forbes.com notes the ongoing progress the Hoyas are making in 2018-19. It also asks this question--how is a third place team in the Big East ranked much lower for NCAA tournament consideration?
"Georgetown is not in a great spot for a tournament bid, but is far from buried with three of its next five games against quadrant 1 competition," said Russ Steinberg. "Save for a neutral court setback against Loyola Marymount in November, the Hoyas have avoided bad losses. Unfortunately, they haven't piled up many great wins either. That non-conference win over Illinois has not aged well and they let several opportunities get away from them, including against St. John's and Marquette."Their 82 ranking in the NET is reflective of that and some so-so efficiency numbers. While it's not entirely clear how heavily the committee will rely on the NET, it doesn't bode well to see Georgetown closer to 100 than to 50 when there are only 36 at-large spots."
Villanova 77, Georgetown 65
For 33 minutes Georgetown stood toe to toe with the #14 Villanova Wildcats, but a 16-2 Wildcats run paved the way for a 77-65 win Sunday at Wells Fargo Center.
Georgetown entered the game a double digit underdog and this is where they ended. In its previous two games, Villanova outscored Georgetown by a combined margin of 56 points. But as Patrick Stephens' paywalled article at The Athletic noted, "this wasn't the Georgetown that Villanova has been whipping up on lately."
POST-GAME COVERAGE
- GUHoyas.com
- Villanova.com
- Associated Press
- Big East Coast Bias
- Bucks County Courier Times
- NBC Sports
- Philadelphia Inquirer
- Philadelphia Inquirer (2)
- Washington Post
Two story lines opened early in this game. For Georgetown, the promise of Jessie Govan, who took the Wildcats for 30 points last March at Wells Fargo Center, was a promise unfulfilled Sunday. Govan picked up two fouls within 14 seconds early in the first half and was never a factor in this game. But the Hoyas didn't fold, and its defense was well suited to a second story in this game, a run of cold shooting that followed the #14 Wildcats all afternoon. For a team that scored 12 or more threes in each of its last six games, Villanova opened the game 2 for 9 in the first half. The only Wildcat immune for the scoring bug was Connor Gillespie, whose four threes in the first half was VU's entire outside output, en route to a 30 point afternoon, a career high.
Govan re-entered the game midway in the half but picked up a third foul at the 7:48 mark. But instead of folding, the Hoyas caught a favorable run with a smaller lineup that leveraged Trey Mourning inside. Following back to back baskets from Greg Malinowski, the Hoyas began to gain momentum as the Wildcats continued to shoot poorly. In an eleven minute ruin in the first half, the Wildcats missed eight consecutive attempts from three point range while GU answered with back to back threes from Jamorko Pickett and Jahvon Blair to gain the lead 28-25. Gillespie answered with back to back threes to regain the lead and scored the final seven points of the half as Villanova maintained the lead until the end of the half, where James Akinjo hit a three pointer to end the half and tip the halftime scales to Georgetown, 34-33.
The Hoyas finished the first half with considerable efficiency. In Govan's absence and a scoreless effort from Mac McClung, Georgetown got half of its points, 17 of 34, from its bench. Even more encouraging was an unfamiliar number in a familiar statistic--the Hoyas managed only two turnovers for the half. On the Villanova side of the ledger, nothing was quite familiar. Gillespie and forward Eric Paschall combined for 8 for 17 shooting, while the rest of the team was 3 for 14. Gillespie was 4 for 8 from outside, the rest of the team was a combined 0 for 9.
The Wildcats opened the second half with a message, as Gillespie and Paschall hit back to back threes to take a 39-34 lead. mcClung got on the scoreboard to close to three, but Georgetown's hopes took a step back when Govan reached in for his fourth foul at the 16:08 mark.
The Hoyas continued to play the Wildcats close. A three from Akinjo tied the score at the 13:16 mark, 43-43, and six minutes later did just the same, as the Hoyas entered the final seven minutes of the second half tied at 53. Govan was back in with four fouls, but he was ineffective and the momentum GU had gained in his absence vanished thereafter.
Off a Paschall miss at the 7:05 mark, the game turned on consecutive Georgetown possessions. Shooting for the lead, Govan missed a jumper, got it back off a Josh LeBlanc rebound, missed a three, and Malinowski missed a put back. Fifth year senior Phil Booth responded with a jumper to put Nova up 55-53. Govan tried to answer with another three, missed, and Booth responded with a breakaway three, 58-53. Georgetown went on to miss ten consecutive shots and never challenged thereafter.
Georgetown got strong efforts from Trey Mourning and Josh LeBlanc in Govan's absence, but it remained an absence the Hoyas could not overcome. Govan ended the game 0 for 9 from the field in 13 minutes, his first scoreless game since he was a freshman in a 2016 Big East quarterfinal loss to Villanova. Govan's 0-fer was the most visible lapse for the Hoyas in this game, but not the only one. McClung was visibly frustrated when his shots didn't drop, and finished 0-5 from three. Akinjo led the Hoyas with 19 points but struggled to contain Gillespie, who became the third Big East player this season to score 30 or more against the Hoyas this season. Gillespie and Paschall combined for 54 points in the Villanova win; in fact, Gillespie, Paschall, and Booth accounted for all but nine points for the Wildcats.
Defensively, 6-7 Jermaine Samuels had a season high 16 rebounds in the game for the Wildcats, who are 9-0 in Big East play for the first time in ten seasons, and the winners of nine straight versus the Hoyas since the reformation of the Big East conference.
"I know this team has a great upside," said Villanova's Jay Wright in post-game remarks. "I know we lack some experience. I want to see how far we can take this ride."
The good news is Patrick Ewing can say the same.
The Georgetown half of the box score:
MIN 2FG 3FG FT REB A PF PTS
Starters:
Akinjo 35 4-10 3-6 2-4 2 4 4 19
McClung 22 2-6 0-5 0-0 3 3 3 4
Pickett 29 1-4 2-2 2-2 3 2 1 10
LeBlanc 28 2-4 0-0 1-1 8 1 4 5
Govan 13 0-6 0-3 0-0 2 0 5 0
Reserves:
Blair 7 0-0 1-4 0-0 0 3 0 3
Mosely 15 0-1 0-1 2-2 1 0 2 2
Malinowski 14 1-3 2-4 0-0 5 3 4 8
Johnson 10 0-0 0-0 2-4 5 0 3 2
Mourning 27 5-8 0-1 2-4 6 0 1 12
Team Rebounds 7
DNP: Muresan, Robinson, Carter
TOTALS 200 15-42 8-26 11-18 42 16 27 65
The Big Dawg
Entering this weekend's game with Villanova, the path of Mac McClung to the Big East is chronicled in a first person account from his former coach.
"Mac always had this swagger...even as a sixth grader," writes Shannon Boy, basketball coach at Gate City (VA) HS. " I remember getting the call one day to come and ref some of the games. The youth league teams had pro team names. I do not remember the team name he had at the time...all I remember from that one night I saw him play was, 'Dang...this kid attacks hard!' If Mac left you with any impressions as a little kid, it was that he was going to be the most aggressive kid on the court. He was short of 5 foot nothing... and he attacked the basket like he was going to dunk the crap out of it. He would go up for layups and I remember telling the dude I was refereeing with at the time... 'Watch this kid! His body control... I swear he is like a miniature Dewayne Wade.' He looked so out of control but in control at the same time. He was one guy that you would watch play and really hope that life would throw him some good breaks...maybe grow a little bit and have that big ticker inside that would keep pushing him to keep getting better.""While I still admire Coach Wright and the Wildcats, I'm pulling for the Hoyas this weekend," he writes. "I'm pulling for the Hoyas with Govan, Akinjo, Mourning, Pickett, Blair, LeBlanc, Carter, Mosely, oh yeah, and that one kid McClung. The one little wavy haired kid that I let beat me about six years ago 5-4 on our JV team whose confidence I didn't want to destroy."