Georgetown Basketball

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Various news items posted during March 2025.
 
 

Let's Play Two

 3/6/25

A wild finish at Providence all but locks Georgetown and DePaul into back to back games entering the 46th annual Big East Tournament.

Down 74-65 at home with 1:57 to play, PC closed to three points with seven seconds remaining when Bensley Joseph was fouled on a three point attempt. Joseph missed all three attempts, the last of which fell short of a key offensive rebound when referee Tony Chiazza inadvertently blew the whistle. By rule, an inadvertent whistle is grounds for an alternate possession, which in this case turned the back back to DePaul, which held on, 80-77.

It's only the second road win for DePaul (12-18, 3-16) in two years, the other being its win at Capital One Arena versus Georgetown on January 17. Providence (12-18, 6-13) has lost seven of its last eight and will play Butler in its opening round game.

Barring a unimaginable Seton Hall win at UConn, DePaul will clinch the 10th seed and meet Georgetown in the first round of the Big East Tournament, regardless of the outcome in Saturday's game between the two teams.

This "back to back" scenario has happened four times before for the Hoyas in Big East play, but none in the past 25 years:

  • 1983: A game postponed by snow moved the Syracuse at Georgetown game to an non-televised Monday night game at Capital Centre, won by the Hoyas, 80-75 in a regular season sweep. Three days later, the teams met in the quarterfinals, with 5th seeded Syracuse winning 79-72. It was the only loss suffered by Patrick Ewing and the class of 1985 in four years of Big East tournament play.
  • 1986: Georgetown ended the regular season with the 3rd seed following a 93-62 walloping of Pittsburgh at Capital Centre. Five days later, in a bizarre finish, Pitt had three chances in the final 15 seconds for the win when, sensing a game winning shot by Pitt's Curtis Aiken, a Pitt fan preemptively threw a roll of toilet paper onto the floor at Madison Square Garden, forcing a game stoppage with two seconds remaining. Following the time out, Pittsburgh's Demetrius Gore could not get a shot off, with ESPN cameras showing a foul uncalled on the play. Georgetown advanced, 57-56.
  • 1988: Georgetown lost in the first round of the Big East only twice in a 22 year period from 1980 through 2001, and the second came on a back to back game, just as it had five years earlier. The Hoyas rallied behind a career high 38 from Jaren Jackson in a 102-98 double overtime win over Seton Hall in the 1987-88 season finale at Capital Centre, but Jackson missed a three pointer at the buzzer five days later in Seton Hall's 61-58 win over the third seeded Hoyas. This game marked Seton Hall's first quarterfinal win in Big East tournament history.
  • 1999: This season's finale saw Providence's Erron Maxey score with less than a second left to upset the Hoyas 64-62 at the Providence Civic Center, sending PC ahead of Notre Dame and Syracuse for the 7th seed against the 10th seeded Hoyas. In this game, Maxey again had the ball for the final shot, but his shot skirted off the rim and Georgetown held on, 68-66.
 

Georgetown 75, Villanova 73

  3/4/25

Six weeks removed from a last second win over Villanova at the Finneran Pavilion, the Georgetown Hoyas rallied from nine down with 3:44 to play for a 75-73 upset in the home finale at Capital One Arena, earning its first season sweep of the Wildcats in 32 years and clinching the Hoyas' first winning season in six years.

POST-GAME COVERAGE
"I really thought we were mature today," said Georgetown coach Ed Cooley in post-game remarks. "We did not panic. "

Neither team shot particularly well in the first half: Villanova shot 35 percent from the floor and a frosty 2 of 13 from outside the arc, unexpected from the Big East's leading three point shooting team. Defensively, Georgetown was strong, but its shooting was not much better: 37 percent from the field, 37 percent from three. Together, the teams combined to shoot 8 for 29 from outside in the first half in a 29-29 tie.

After a Drew Fielder layup to open the second half, the two teams combined on threes on five of its next six field goals, including back to back threes from Micah Peavy 37-29. The Wildcats closed to five on a three from Eric Dixon, scoreless in eight attempts in the first half. Peavy added to more threes to put Georgetown up nine, 46-37, six minutes into the second half, but Dixon was about to take over the game.

Eric Dixon arrived to Capital One Arena the nation's leading scorer at 23.6 points per game, so a 1 for 9 start bordered on the surreal. Georgetown had moved from a zone defense with Micah Peavy on Dixon to a man to man defense with about 13 minutes to play and the Wildcats took advantage.

A three pointer from Wooga Poplar, held to only six points on the evening, closed to 46-40. At that point, Dixon took over, scoring on three consecutive Villanova possessions, each assisted by guard Jhamir Brickus, to tie the score at 47-47 with 11:30 to play.

Georgetown answered with baskets from Epps and Mack, but Dixon continued his assault, scoring on a three point play to close to 52-50 with 10:15 remaining and a second three point play 44 seconds later, 55-53. Both teams were shooting at a high rate of accuracy: the Wildcats were seven of its last nine, the Hoyas three of three. Following an exchange of free throws, 57-54, Dixon went inside yet again, whereupon Georgetown's Curtis Williams was tagged with a flagrant foul for grabbing Dixon's jersey as he went up for the shot.

Dixon, an 83 percent foul shooter, uncharacteristically missed both free throws. Fouled 14 seconds alter under the rim, he made only one of two, 57-55. Following a Georgetown turnover, he stepped outside, hitting a three for Villanova's first lead since the 15:57 mark of the first half, 58-57. By this point, he had scored 20 of Villanova's 29 points after halftime.

Georgetown is a resilient team, and that resilience was shown within the next series, where Epps sank a three to put the Hoyas back up, 60-58. It was a transitory lead, for as the Wildcats picked up its shooting, the Hoyas flagged.

Following a pair of free throws at the six minute mark, the Wildcats went on a 9-0 run, with a three from Tyler Perkins, a Dixon midrange jumper, and an inside dunk from 6-11 Enoch Boakye to lead 69-60. Over this run, Georgetown had taken four three point attempts, and missed them all. If Georgetown was going to make any kind of late rally, it would have to come from its defense, and the defense began to take hold.

From a media timeout, Georgetown got an early break. An Epps layup was no good, but Mack picked off a pass from Wooga Poplar and deposited a three, 69-63. Georgetown went to a full court press and Epps picked off Brickus, driving inside and picking up free throws, 69-65. On Villanova's next series, Jordan Burks forced Poplar to turn the ball over with 2:30 to play, with Mack threading the ball to Fielder for a dunk at the 2:21 mark, 69-67. Prior to the last 65 seconds of play, Villanova had only committed one turnover; in this sequence, three.

"We couldn't handle the pressure."
--Villanova coach Kyle Neptune

"I thought the turnovers really hurt us," said Villanova coach Kyle Neptune in post-game comments. "It gave them some life and they were able to take advantage of them."

Georgetown wasn't done. Following a pair of Dixon free throws, Mack fed Jordan Burks insider for a layup, 71-69. Georgetown clogged the middle on the next series, whereupon Dixon, who had shot 8 for 10 to date in the second half, missed on a three point attempt with 1:26 to play. Epps went inside, drew the foul, and tied the score at 71-71 a the 1:13 mark.

Despite its clear advantages inside, the Wildcats fell victim to the three point trap. Perkins missed a long three with 56 seconds left, whereupon in a textbook example of teamwork in passing, Mack passed to Epps, who passed inside to Fielder, who fed Burks driving for the layup with 37 seconds remaining, 73-71.



Villanova called its last time out with 32 seconds left. Off the time out, Brickus quickly got past Epps into the frontcourt and rather than run down clock, took the layup unopposed to tie the score six seconds later. Inadvertently, it gave Georgetown enough time to put together its winning drive.

Epps held the ball for the last possession. With one on one coverage from Poplar and Dixon not moving to the ball (which would have left Peavy, the game winner from Jan. 20 open in the paint), Epps had a clear lane to the basket.



Villanova had five seconds remaining but no timeout to draw a play. Jordan Longino got to the top of three point line: the ball was on target but front-rimmed out.

Without Thomas Sorber, Georgetown needed more than a few breaks to end a three game losing streak Tuesday and got them: 14 threes, balanced scoring, perimeter defense, and a late defensive stand to turn the ride. The Hoyas hit their last five shots of the game and shot 51 percent in the second half, holding the Wildcats, averaging 40 percent from deep, to just 28 percent (8 for 28).

Georgetown put four starters in double figures, with 20 from Epps, 19 from Peavy, 14 from Burks, and 10 from Mack. Coach Ed Cooley also recognized the work of Drew Fielder, who played a full 40 minutes following back issues which limited him to 11 minutes in the Marquette game. Fielder finished with six points, seven rebounds, and shared a team high four assists with Mack.

Villanova was led by 24 from Dixon, all in the second half. The Wildcats shot 60 percent after the halftime break, and was nine of ten from two point range. Three missed free throws from Dixon in that mid-half stretch proved critical, while GU was 9 of 10 at the line in the second half, and seven of its final seven down the stretch.

"I just feel like all year we've shown that we just don't quit," said Peavy. "Even in league games, we've gone down, and we just kept fighting to the end. I think that showed today. We don't quit, and we had confidence in ourselves to win this game."

Georgetown's last home win over Villanova came on February 20, 2019, and this game was only its third regular season win against the Wildcats in the last 24 games dating to the 2012-13 season. It may have been overdue, but nonetheless came at a key junction of the season for both teams.

The win locked in a #7 seed for the Hoyas in next week's Big East tournament; conversely, Villanova will be seeded #6 and for all intents and purposes must sweep the tournament for an NCAA bid.

The Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG  FT   REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         33   2-6   2-7  0-0    2  4   2   10    
Epps         31   3-7   3-5  5-5    1  3   2   20 
Peavy        40   2-4   5-9  0-0    5  3   3   19
Burks        32   3-5   2-4  2-3    6  1   1   14
Fielder      40   2-4   0-3  2-2    7  4   2    6
Reserves:  
Ca. Williams  9   0-0   0-0  0-0    2  0   0    0
Cu. Williams 13   0-1   2-3  0-0    1  1   2    6
Montgomery    2   0-0   0-0  0-0    1  0   0    0
Mulready      1   0-0   0-0  0-0    0  0   0    0
Team Rebounds                       4                
Injured: Halaifonua, Moses, Sorber
DNP: Fort, McKenna, Asadallah, Van Raaphorst, Diouf
TOTALS      200 12-27 14-31  9-10  29 16  12   75

 

Game Highlights

  3/4/25


 

Home Finale: 5,144

  3/4/25

The home finale versus Villanova drew just 5,144 to Capital One Arena Tuesday evening. This total is the smallest off-campus turnout ever for a Villanova game in Washington.

The previous low was set on January 28, 1949 when 5,308 saw Paul Arizin and the #8 Wildcats defeat Georgetown 64-49 at the 7,000 seat D.C. Armory.

The season average for 2024-25 home attendance winds up at 5,659 per game, down 19 percent from 2023-24. The number is inclusive of two games at McDonough Gym; the net downtown attendance is 6,120 per game, down 10 percent from 2023-24, and 7,175 for Big East games, up two percent from last season.

The peak for attendance was in 2007-08: averages of 12,955 per game and 16,138 for Big East home games.

 

Yet Another Injury

 3/2/25

Post-game comments by head coach Ed Cooley confirmed a back injury to center Drew Fielder.

"I think I made a coaching mistake. We shouldn't have played Fielder," Cooley said, referencing a back injury. "I'm always going to trust what a player tells me but sometimes I've got to trust my eyes. He was not moving well in the locker room."

Fielder played just 11 minutes in the first half and was seen wearing a back support while sitting the second half, according to reports.

With Thomas Sorber and Julius Halaifonua both out for the season, Fielder is the nominative third option at center. Any possible absence from Fielder next would drop wing forward Jordan Burks to the fourth option, with just two other players (Micah Peavy, Drew McKenna) listed at taller than 6-7 to match up with Tuesday with Villanova center Eric Dixon, averaging 23.6 points per game and 33.0 points in his last two.



 

Marquette 75, Georgetown 61

 3/1/25

Georgetown was again no match for the 21st-ranked Marquette Warriors, a 75-61 outcome at Capital One Arena that was not as close as the final score indicated.

POST-GAME ARTICLES
The Hoyas led for all of 16 seconds of this game. Georgetown's defense was poor, its shot selection embarrassing. The Pre-Game Report for this game asked if Georgetown, a car running on three wheels without Thomas Sorber could keep its wheels on the road. By halftime the car had no wheels at all.

Georgetown opened the game going 0 for 3. Three points by Drew Fielder gave Georgetown a transitory 6-4 lead four minutes into the first half which was quickly erased by an inspired Marquette offense seeking to earn its first road win in Big East play in over a month. Senior guard Kam Jones scored or provided assists on its next nine points, taking a 13-9 lead.

From this point, Georgetown missed its next eight attempts, many of which were not close, as Marquette built a 27-13 lead inside seven minutes to halftime. A three pointer from Jayden Epps, his only such field goal of the game, brought the Hoyas to 11, a number they would not see for the remainder of the game.

While Marquette was not shooting lights out, they could not help but grow the lead as Georgetown continued to flail, many from outside shooting that it had little or no business shooting. The homestanding Hoyas entered the final minute of the first half having missed 17 of its last 18 attempts of the half before a Curtis Williams layup with four seconds to the break halted the bleeding at 39-22.

"Georgetown is totally clueless on offense...Their shot selection is absolutely atrocious."
--Peacock halftime report

In contrast to a Fox Sports halftime team that is loath to criticize anything within its view, the NBC/Peacock halftime report spared no pleasantries.

"Georgetown is totally clueless on offense," said the team of Jordan Cornette and Matt McCall. "Their shot selection is absolutely atrocious."

It was a layup of an argument, so to speak. Georgetown shot 19 percent in the first half, a mere 5 for 26, and just 2 of 11 inside the three point arc. Georgetown was outscored in the paint 20-4 as MU converted 11 of 14 from inside, of which six were layups, three dunks. The Hoyas managed two layups, no dunks, no midrange jumpers and missed 12 of its 15 attempts from deep behind the likes of Micah Peavy, Malik Mack and Jayden Epps, a combined 2 for 12 from outside.

If there were any hopes GU could open the door and make this a competitive second half, Marquette's Kam Jones closed the door. Jones picked up his 10th assist of the game 32 seconds into the second half, scored on consecutive possessions, and picked off Jordan Burks to feed a driving David Joplin, extending the Marquette lead to 23 before the first media time out, 49-26. The Warriors opened the second half 9 for 12, Georgetown 2 for 8.

Marquette led by 28 just over five minutes into the half, and began to tap the brakes defensively. Curtis Williams was left along for a pair of threes, 56-33. Three minutes later, having been held without a field goal for the first 30 minutes of play, Micah Peavy scored 20 consecutive points as part of a 15-4 Georgetown run. This alone was not enough to affect the large lead, with Marquette shooting 57 percent in the half with a 38-14 advantage in the paint. It was a start, albeit a late one.

The best defensive efforts of the evening for the Hoyas allowed for its second wind. The Warriors committed 11 turnovers in the first 13 minutes of the half, Georgetown just three, and the lead began to tighten. Steals by Peavy and Caleb Williams were converted and brought Georgetown to within 12, 65-53, with 5:48 to play. Jones missed a short shot on MU's next possession, but the Hoyas reverted to its poor outside game with familiar consequences. Three point misses by Curtis Williams and Jayden Epps set the table again for Kam Jones, who scored on a layup and deposited an assist in consecutive possessions to put the Warriors up 18 with 3:01 remaining. Marquette made four straight heading into the final minute, three by layup, to end their scoring.

Marquette ended the half shooting 57 percent overall and 13 for 19 from two point range, en route to game high totals of 56 percent overall, eight threes, and 24 for 33 from two, with 46 of its 76 points in the paint. All five starters scored in double figures, with David Joplin led the team with a season high 17, while Kam Jones' 13 points and 13 assists were the most assists by a Georgetown opponent since Tyler Kolek picked up 15 on the Hoyas on January 7, 2023.

Georgetown's offensive output was arguably its worst of the season since the Notre Dame game. Micah Peavy finished with 15 but it was a struggle all evening for him. Curtis Williams (14 points) and Jordan Burks (11 points, 10 rebounds) could not make up for a another dose of selfish shooting from Malik Mack (3 for 12) and Jayden Epps, the latter shooting his worst from the field (2 for 15) for the season and the second worst percentage for his Georgetown career. The two guards shot 3 for 13 after the break and a combined 5 for 27 overall. By contrast, the remainder of the Georgetown team shot 50 percent (14 for 28) among them.

This was a team-wide loss, and, while otherwise expected, speaks to a lineup that is down key contributors and is not playing as a team. In extending its mark to 0-21 versus ranked opponents since 2021 and 0-11 to Marquette in regular season games since 2018-19, the Hoyas did little to set a positive course for the home finale next week versus Villanova.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG  FT   REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         36   2-7   1-5  0-0    4  4   1    7      
Epps         38   1-7   1-8  2-4    3  7   1    7 
Peavy        38   4-8   1-3  4-6    6  1   1   15
Burks        38   2-3   1-1  4-6   10  0   1   11
Fielder      11   1-1   0-2  1-2    2  0   1    3
Reserves:  
Ca. Williams 14   0-0   0-1  1-2    0  0   4    1
McKenna       1   0-1   0-0  0-0    1  0   0    0
Cu. Williams 17   2-4   2-3  4-5    3  0   1   14
Montgomery    1   0-0   0-0  0-0    0  0   0    0
Mulready      5   0-0   1-1  0-0    0  0   0    3
Team Rebounds                       4                
Injured: Epps, Halaifonua, Moses, Sorber
DNP: Fort, Asadallah, Van Raaphorst, Diouf
TOTALS      200  12-31 7-24 16-25  33 12  10   61