Georgetown Basketball: February 2011 News Archive

• Syracuse 58, Georgetown 51
  
• Editorial: These Are The Good Old Days
  
• Senior Salute: Austin Freeman
  
• Cincinnati 58, Georgetown 46
  
• Senior Salute: Chris Wright
  
• Senior Salute: Julian Vaughn
  
• Senior Salute: Ryan Dougherty
  
• Strength Of Schedule
  
• Georgetown 61, South Florida 55
  
• Connecticut 78, Georgetown 70
  
• The Secret Of Their Success
  
• Georgetown 69, Marquette 60
  
• Georgetown 64, Syracuse 56
  
• A Gift Of Life
  
• Editorial: Four Years Later
  
• 30 Years At The Carrier Dome
  
• Three Tight Wins
  
• Georgetown 83, Providence 81
  
• The Sixth Man
  

Syracuse 58, Georgetown 51

2/27/11

"We came out on the losing end, but we're going to figure this out. We're in a position where we thought we'd be five days ago."--John Thompson III

Get well, Chris. Soon.

Minus its starting point guard, Georgetown faded late in a 58-51 home loss to Syracuse, the Hoyas third loss over the past two weeks. While Georgetown's prior record and RPI all but assure it of an NCAA tournament bid, the Hoyas are limping to the finish line with a continuing lack of offense in recent games, down more than 20% under its season average in its last three games, as the former third seed in the upcoming Big East tournament is treading water in the shark-infested waters of the Big East standings.

Amidst speculation as to who would start in place of senior Chris Wright, head coach John Thompson opted to move Austin and Jason Clark along the starting five, and added Hollis Thompson into the lineup. Georgetown held the lead for the first 48 seconds of the game but little thereafter. The Syracuse 2-3 zone had effectively cut off Georgetown's passing options inside, while the Orangemen establish an early lad thanks to 5-6 shooting to open the game, 12-7.

Georgetown was especially poor from outside, continuing a trend that developed apart from Wright's injury and has weighed upon this team's numbers since mid-month. Georgetown shot creditably inside the arc in the first half (7-14) but just 2-12 from outside, giving Syracuse nine fast break points in the half and a stable led of four to six points much of the half. The Hoyas closed to three late in the first half, only to allow reserve James Southerland to score seven points in the last five possessions of the half, including a three pointer with 31 seconds to push the margin to ten at the half, 33-23. Syracuse's offense was running at high velocity and Georgetown needed some sort of spark to open the second half, getting it in the form of a pair of threes from Jason Clark to close the lad to six with 15:07 to play, 37-31. For its part, the Hoyas began to shut off the entry passes and fought off the offensive rebounds which had served the orangemen well in the first half. The teams traded free throws and a three pointer over the next four minutes, whereupon the Hoyas rallied the sold out Verizon Center crowd with a Clark three and a Nate Lubick drive inside to tie the score, at 43. Syracuse was turned over on the next possession, and a long pass to junior Henry Sims caught him one stride to close to the basket, and he missed an easy layup, but was rescued by two succeeding offensive rebounds which ended with a Lubick layup and its first lead sine the opening of the conflict, 45-43. With 10:02 the Hoyas held a two point lead, and in hindsight, that was about it. The gas was out of the tank--not the result of a horrid defensive effort nor a lack of effort, but Georgetown couldn't close the case, missing 11 of its final 12 shots. "I don't think there were a lot of contested threes," said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. "The ball just didn't go in." Syracuse tied the game on a Scoop Jardine jumper with 9:04 left, 45-45, took the lead following a Lubick turnover at the eight minute time out, 47-45, and extended the lead out to eight following misses by Lubick and Sims, and the Orangemen were up eight with three minutes to play. A Starks three rallied the Hoyas, and following two Austin Freeman free throws Georgetown had closed to three with 1:21 remaining, 54-51. Jardine missed the front end of a one and one with 41 seconds left, but Jason Clark's three was partially deflected by Kris Joseph and the officiating crew (who were equally clueless to both teams today) awarded the ball out of bounds to Syracuse instead. The Orangemen salted away the game at the line as the Hoyas missed a final three with 17 seconds left and turned the ball over eight seconds later. Despite its better play inside, the Hoyas' shooting numbers in the second half were fitful--just 4-12 from inside. Owing to the officials' avoidance of using its whistle, Georgetown never shot in the bonus (and when was the last time that happened versus Syracuse?) and never got the baskets late when it counted. Freeman and Clark accounted for 27 of the team's 51 points, but unless Patrick Ewing and Gene Smith are walking through that door, Georgetown isn't going to win any games scoring 51 points, much less to a team ranked #12 in the nation. Hollis Thompson (0-5) did not step up when needed, while Julian Vaughn (0-3) is in the midst of miserable week which saw him shoot 1-13 over the last two games. Henry Sims (six points, four rebounds) fared well in limited action but the Hoyas cannot succeed in 2010-11 without Vaughn.

74.6 Points per game prior to Feb. 16 57.0 Points per game since Feb. 16 5-22 3-pt shooting by GU starters, this game 8-37 3-pt shooting by GU starters, last 2 games 1-9 Shooting by H. Thompson, last two games 1-13 Shooting by J. Vaughn, last two games 1-8 GU shooting, last 5:00 of game 2-4 SU shooting, last 5:00 of game +6 SU advantage, steals +1 GU advantage, blocks 20,276 Attendance, sets new record at Verizon Center 2-1 Record when former President Bill Clinton has attended games

Neither coach seemed too up or down over the game, as both have earned their way into March.

"We got what we wanted [but] the ball didn't go in, said John Thompson III. "You have to give [Syracuse] credit today.

Returning the favor, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said "Obviously, Chris Wright not playing is huge...I hope he can come back because Georgetown is obviously one of the best teams in our league with him playing and that's a huge loss.

"It's one of those things. I thought the difference in this game and the game at our place is at the end of the game we made some plays here and in Syracuse we just couldn't make a play. Both teams gave an unbelievable effort."

The loss could not have come at a worse time for a Georgetown team which has no real momentum to avoid slipping off the bye and into the increasing possibilities of an early out in the Big East tournament. Saturday's finale at Cincinnati could well be a bye to the winner and a late morning start on Tuesday for the losers.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:

            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Freeman      38   4-7   2-9   2-2   5   2  0   16
Clark        27   1-2   3-7   0-0   7   1  4   11
Thompson     28   0-1   0-4   3-6   3   1  1    3
Lubick       24   2-3   0-2   0-0   5   2  0    4 
Vaughn       31   0-3   0-0   3-4   7   1  1    3
Reserves:
Starks       24   0-1   2-3   0-0   2   1  4    6
Sanford       5   1-3   0-0   0-0   1   1  0    2
Sims         21   3-5   0-0   0-0   4   1  2    6 
Benimon       2   0-0   0-0   0-0   1   0  0    0
Team Rebounds                       4
DNP: Wright, Dougherty, Caprio, Bowen, Ayegba
TOTALS      200 11-25  7-25   8-12 39  10 12   51

Post game articles follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• Syracuse Athletics
• Associated Press
• Casual Hoya
• Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
• The HOYA
• The HOYA (2)
• Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
• SU Juice Online
• Syracuse Post-Standard
• Syracuse Post-Standard (2)
• Washington Examiner
• Washington Post
• Washington Post (2)

Editorial: These Are The Good Old Days

2/25/11

"Could Carly Simon be right? These are the good old days?"

NBC correspondent (and college basketball fan) Chuck Todd raised this question in a 2007 column, noting "as a society, we are programmed to believe yesterday was better than today. Whether about sports, technology or politics, we love to wax nostalgic about yesteryear." And as the Georgetown community honors Alonzo Mourning and six of his fellow alumni this weekend with its highest athletic honor, it's easy to think of the late 1980's and early 1990's as a golden age of Georgetown athletics.

But look around this weekend, and take a second look.

The men's basketball team, minus one of its senior stars, battles its traditional hoop rival before a sold out crowd at Verizon Center. This itself was almost unthinkable in Mourning's time on the Hilltop--not the sellout, but the scenery. Games were played on the red, white, and blue floor of an arena all but inaccessible without a car, a 45 minute bus ride from campus (if you were lucky and the bus driver didn't get lost on South Capitol Street). The closest restaurant was two exits away on the Capital Beltway, and fans knew to leave the game early to beat the traffic and scatter quickly across the region. Today, Georgetown will summon thousands from Metrorail to a vibrant downtown environment, something that frankly did not exist as late as 10 years ago. It will do so as the 11th-ranked team in the nation, having been ranked every week over the past two seasons--and only five other Division I schools in the nation can say the same.

Georgetown will honor four seniors--local kids that have earned our admiration and our respect-- through a season that has not only been the most challenging non-conference schedule in the nation, but maintained Georgetown's position as one of the nation's elite academic and athletic programs. Look back on this schedule: Old Dominion, Missouri, Utah State, Temple, Memphis, the wars of the Big East--a great run.

But it's not just men's basketball.

Three hours later on Saturday, the Georgetown women's team will meet the #1-ranked team in the nation before its own sellout at aging McDonough Gymnasium. That's not unexpected given UConn's two decades of dominance, but look where Georgetown is--a top 20 women's program. For the first 35 or so years of varsity-level women's basketball, Georgetown had one NCAA bid and one week ranked in the Top 25. That was it.

Georgetown has now been ranked in 26 of the last 35 Associated Press polls, has become a likely entrant for a second straight NCAA berth and to finish in the Top 25 in consecutive seasons for the first time ever. For a few of us fans looking to make it a doubleheader on Saturday, the thought of seeing two nationally ranked Georgetown basketball teams on the same day is impressive indeed.

But amidst the good feelings, let us as fans always recognize how steep the competitive hill can be to climb, and how treacherous it is to remain there, even for notable programs:

1. The University of Virginia made the NCAA men's tournament three times between 1995 and 2001. It's been to one since.
2. The University of Indiana was the gold standard in NCAA basketball for decades: 35 NCAA appearances, five national titles. In its last three years, IU is 8-42 in Big Ten play.
3. Princeton used to be an NCAA tournament regular. In the seven years since John Thompson III left Old Nassau for the Hilltop, it has no NCAA appearances.
4. This season marks the 40th anniversary of its greatest team ever at Fordham University that finished 26-3 and made it to the NCAA's. In the four decades since, the Rams have just played one game in the tournament, 19 years ago. In the past three years alone, the Rams are 1-44 in their conference.
5. Providence College, a school with a basketball tradition as good as anyone, has gone to only two NCAA tournaments since 1997, a victim of the Darwinian principle that has enveloped the lower tier of the Big East conference.

Seven years ago, Georgetown could have become a Providence. With broad based institutional support and the leadership of its head coach, it reestablished itself nationally and today's young adults can proudly stand alongside the very best of what preceded them. It's not a stretch when remembering its great names of the Big East era, to add the names of Chris Wright and Austin Freeman to its very best without reservation. And the women's team is making its own strides that will someday add new names to its growing legacy as well.

For a weekend which honors its past, let's certainly do so, but also be proud of where it is right now, and where it can go in the future with our head coaches, our players, our support...and please don't forget that practice facility.

What a weekend. Good days, indeed.

--JR

Senior Salute: Austin Freeman

2/25/11

When Alonzo Mourning walked off the court in the 1992 Big East final, I remarked to a friend that we were fortunate to have seen his college career, and that we would not soon see his likes again. I think the same can be said for the man that is Austin Freeman.

Freeman was a legend in Washington before he ever chose a college, leading DeMatha to three straight WCAC titles. Named the consensus All-Met Player of the year in 2007, a Parade and McDonald's All-American, Freeman could have played anywhere in the nation, and in choosing Georgetown he became the first DeMatha grad to declare for the Hoyas since Don Willis in 1970, bringing in a new era between the schools.

Freeman wasn't an immediate starter, however, and he waited his turn. On Dec. 31, 2007, Freeman succeeded Patrick Ewing Jr.'s in the starting lineup, scoring 12 points in 24 minutes. Freeman collected 14 double figure scoring games as a freshman, including 16 versus Notre dame and 15 in the Hoyas' thrilling regular season finale versus Louisville. His 51% scoring average ranks to this day as the second highest percentage by a freshman in school history.

His development continued through injuries as a sophomore, scoring in double figures in 26 of 30 games for a 9.1 average. Freeman's junior year saw him assert himself not only as the scoring leader on his team, but as one of the best in the Big East--among the top five in the league in scoring average, three pointers, and free throws, with 28 double figure games in 33 games, including a outstanding 33 point game where he scored 28 in the second half to rally Georgetown from 19 down to defeat Connecticut. The only game he played in but failed to start, however, would change his life.

On Feb. 27, 2010, Freeman missed his first start in two seasons--looking pale and weakened, he played 23 minutes and scored five points in what was thought to be the stomach flu. On the way to West Virginia that weekend, his condition worsened, and he returned to campus. The diagnosis was diabetes, and the prompt medical attention at Georgetown University Hospital was invaluable. Amazingly, he returned to action a week later, scored 24 points to defeat Cincinnati, and led Georgetown to the Big East final six days later.

A second team all-Big East selection in 2010, Freeman was the pre-season candidate for the conference's Player of the Year in 2011, and while he never carried the bravado of Kemba Walker nor the hot hand of Marshon Brooks, Freeman's senior season would be no less valuable for the Hoyas. From a 31 point effort versus Missouri, he carried an outstanding scoring effort into Big East play, averaging over 20 points a game as Georgetown bounced back from a 1-4 start to win eight straight in the league, led by a remarkable 30 point effort on the road versus Villanova. Still bothered by an injury suffered against Marquette, Freeman remains the quiet leader of the team, one who leads by example and dedication.

Statistically, Austin Freeman is in select company over his Georgetown career: ninth in scoring, eighth in field goals, third all-time in free throw percentage, third in three pointers, and sixth in three point shooting percentage. Amidst it all, Freeman is low-key, a team player. He does not call attention to himself, but gives all he has to win. A coach could not ask for more from a player. Nor should us fans.

His statistics following Wednesday's game are below:

Year    G/GS         FG     3FG      FT   REB AST STL BLK  PTS  AVG.
2007-08 34/23   115-224   40-100  40-49   101  55  29  2   310  9.1
2008-09 30/30   120-249   26-85   77-102  126  61  26  5   343 11.4
2009-10 33/32   201-383   59-133  83-97   117  80  30  7   544 16.5
2010-11 28/28   181-356   58-143  77-90   101  70  19  5   497 17.8
Totals 125/113  617-1212 183-461 277-338  445 266 104 19  1694 13.5

The son of Austin Sr. and Edith Freeman, Austin will be honored Saturday at Senior Day versus Syracuse. Congratulations to Austin and his family for his four seasons on the Hilltop.

Cincinnati 58, Georgetown 46

2/24/11

 

In a run of offensive futility unseen in the Big East era, the #11 ranked Georgetown Hoyas may not have lost just a game, but have put the future of the 2010-11 season in jeopardy as well. If Georgetown opens the Big East tournament on Wednesday instead of Thursday, look to this game. If Georgetown loses the rest of its regular season games and opens the Big East tournament on Tuesday, look to this game. If the lack of a point guard sends Georgetown to a lower NCAA seed and an early out, look to this game. A broken hand by second leading scorer Chris Wright punctuated a historically bad shooting night for the Hoyas, as hopes for a promising March took a decidedly darker view in a 58-46 loss to Cincinnati Wednesday night. Georgetown officials offered no diagnosis if the injury will end his college career or if Wright can come back and play in the weeks to come. For a third straight home game, Georgetown began the game unfocused and a step slow. Both teams fared poorly to open the game, and the Hoyas did not score a basket for the first 4:25 of the half, yet still trailed by only two as Cincinnati was unable to make headway as well. Georgetown scored seven straight to lead 8-5 with 13:05 in the first half, then folded like a house of cards amidst the Cincinnati defense. UC led by as many as 11 as the Hoyas were shooting 2-11 with five turnovers. Consecutive threes by Freeman and Clark rallied the Hoyas, who outscored the Bearcats 15-5 down the stretch to take a 26-24 lead with 1:34 in the half, but gave up a late layup from Yancy Gates for a 26-all tie at halftime. Despite shooting 32% in the half, the Hoyas were tied. Things couldn't get any worse, could it? The Bearcats opened the second half with a jumper, a three, and a layup, returning to the pressure zone defense which had suited them well to start the game. Georgetown, with no inside presence, missed three threes. A pair of Nate Lubick free throws at the 17:30 mark got GU back on the board, 33-28, only to see UC answer with yet another second chance basket, 35-28. On the next possession, Wright dived for a ball to avoid a turnover and held his hand awkwardly, and after a Cincinnati layup to go up nine, 37-29, he took the unusual step of asking the official to call an injury time out for him to leave the game. UC pushed the lead to ten with a free throw at the 14:43 mark, but there was no relief in sight for the Hoyas. A missed layup by Henry Sims. Three turnovers in a span of 57 seconds (Julian Vaughn, two by Jerrelle Benimon). With 11:38 to play, a Dion Dixon three pushed the lead to 14, 43-29. Georgetown had not made a single field goal since the 1:34 mark of the first half. Wright reentered the game with 11:59 to play. He made one pass and grimaced noticeably in pain, and left with 11:17 to play, not to return. Post-game reports indicated Wright had broken his hand in the earlier pileup, with his availability for the rest of the season in some doubt. "One trip up and down the court, and you could see he was in excruciating pain, and that’s when the doctor and the trainer came over and said they were pretty sure it’s broken," coach John Thompson III said after the game. "For him to ask to come out, he’s in a lot of pain because he’s as tough as they come.” And still no baskets. With 9:33 to play in the game, Hollis Thompson finally hit a three on Georgetown's ninth attempt of the half and closed to 11, 43-32. During a five minute period when the Bearcats were ripe for a rally (shooting only 33% from the field), Georgetown offered this volley of futility: 8:40 to play: Julian Vaughn misses a layup. 7:26 to play: Julian Vaughn misses a short jumper. 6:26 to play: Austin Freeman misses a three pointer. 5:29 to play: Austin Freeman misses jumper. 4:56 to play: Hollis Thompson misses a three pointer. 4:28 to play: Jason Clark misses a three pointer. Still, after all this mess, Cincinnati had not moved the dial significantly, leading by just 13 when Freeman got the second field goal, 48-37. A quick three from Vee Sanford cut it to eight at the four minute mark, but time (and Rashad Bishop) were not on the Hoyas' side. Needing a defensive stop and a rally, Georgetown got neither when Bishop drained his fourth three of the night at the end of the shot clock with 3:15 to play, 51-40. Cincinnati ran out the game at the foul line, hitting 6 of 8, while the misses just kept on coming for Georgetown, a team with no offensive direction on the court in Wright's absence---though to be fair, there wasn't much there all night. For the second half, Austin Freeman was 2-5. His team was 2 for 18. While Cincinnati seemed to get a lot of points off turnovers, the margin versus Georgetown's points off turnvoers was just one point. The inattention to shooting was like a virus, whose incubation period causes real problems for a Georgetown team which still needs one win over its next two games, and faces a hungry and rested Syracuse team Saturday. Wright's injury is to his non-shooting hand but the recovery time remains an open. And here's a date from the past: March 23, 2008, Georgetown vs. Davidson, the second round of the 2008 NCAA's. It's the last game where Chris Wright did not start a game at point guard; in fact, only two men in the JTIII era have ever started at the point: Jonathan Wallace (130 games, 2004-08) and Chris Wright (93 games, 2008-11). Come Saturday, if Wright cannot play, freshman Markel Starks (16 games, 26% shooting, 1.6 ppg, 0.6 apg) faces a trial by fire. Unfortunately now, so does his team.

12 Field goals made, fewest since at least 1978 25.0% FG shooting, worst since at least 1978 46 Fewest points at a GU home game in shot clock era 15:35 Time remaining, 1st basket of 1st half 8 1st half FG's 9:33 Time remaining, 1st basket of 2nd half 4:20 Time remaining, 2nd basket of 2nd half 4 2nd half FG's 7-13 Scoring, Austin Freeman 5-35 Scoring, rest of GU team 0-6 Shooting, Chris Wright 1-5 Shooting, Jason Clark 1-9 Shooting, Julian Vaughn 0-5 GU scoring, 1st 4 mins. of 2nd half 0-2 GU scoring, Next 4 mins. of 2nd half 1-3 GU scoring, Next 4 mins. of 2nd half 1-6 GU scoring, Next 4 mins. of 2nd half 2-7 GU scoring, Last 4 mins. of 2nd half 13 GU turnovers 16 UC pts. off turnovers +30 UC advantage, bench pts. 1/14/2004 Last UC road win vs. ranked team (22 straight losses)

Here's the Georgetown half of this awful box score from an awful, awful game:

            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wright       24   0-2   0-4   2-2   2   2  2    2
Clark        30   0-0   1-5   4-6   7   1  0    7
Freeman      37   5-8   2-5   3-3   5   0  0   19
Lubick       25   1-1   0-1   3-3   1   2  3    5 
Vaughn       31   1-9   0-0   1-2   8   1  5    3
Reserves:
Thompson     21   0-1   1-3   2-2   3   1  3    5
Starks       11   0-2   0-1   0-0   0   0  1    0
Sanford       9   0-0   1-2   2-2   1   0  2    5
Sims          7   0-2   0-0   0-0   1   0  2    0 
Benimon       5   0-0   0-2   0-0   1   0  2    0
Team Rebounds                       2
DNP: Dougherty, Caprio, Bowen, Ayegba
TOTALS      200  7-25  5-23  17-20 31   7 20   46

Post game articles follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• GoBearcats.com
• Associated Press
• Cincinnati Enquirer
• Fox Sports
• The HOYA
• UC News Record
• Washington Examiner
• Washington Post

Senior Salute: Chris Wright

2/24/11

Sometimes, timing isn't everything when Chris Wright is the next in line on this week's senior salutes. Nonetheless, our appreciation, below:

Like Ryan Dougherty and Julian Vaughn before him, Chris Wright didn't plan on being at Georgetown's Senior Day just a few years ago.

Wright was a Top 20 junior who earned the rare distinction of being the first three-time All-Met selection in D.C. boys basketball since Adrian Dantley. He committed early as a junior to North Carolina State, but when Herb Sendek left Raleigh for Arizona State, Wright reopened his recruitment. On a suggestion from a fellow All-Met, Austin Freeman, Wright took a visit to Georgetown and committed to the Hoyas in October 2006. By the time he finished his high school career at St. John's, Wright scored 2,580 points for the Cadets, playing in the McDonald's All-America game (winning the three point shooting contest) and posting 19 games of 30 or more points in his high school career.

The transition to college athletics is a difficult one for any student, but Wright's development was complicated by a mid-season foot injury which lost him for the entire 2007-08 Big East regular season. With only 16 games as a reserve, his 5.7 points a game average was a step down from the success enjoyed in high school.

On November 17, 2008, Wright entered the starting lineup and scored 16 points in the Hoyas' opener versus Jacksonville, and due to injuries suffered against Cincinnati his 93rd consecutive start in the Georgetown uniform Wednesday may have been his last. Over that time, he scored in double figures 46 times, with a career high of 34 versus Harvard in the 2009-10 season, and any number of outstanding efforts that season: a 27 point effort to end Pitt's 31 game home win streak in January 2010 and a 21 point (7-7 from the field) in defeating Duke three weeks later, 89-77. During the 2009-10 season, Wright's games were a bellwether for the Hoyas--at one point, the Hoyas won 15 straight where he shot in double figures, and lost five of six when he did not.

As a senior, his leadership has been invaluable for a veteran team climbing back from a 1-4 start to begin conference play. Wright's 24 point, 8-8 free throw effort helped Georgetown get past Louisville, and his 26 point, 8-8 effort at the line helped Georgetown clear South Florida a week ago. During a run following Austin Freeman's injury cast a shadow on the Hoyas' ability to get points, Wright stepped up in a big way.

A leader by example on and off the court, Chris will end his Georgetown career among a select group to have worn the uniform: 17th in scoring, sixth in assists, and 13th among all guards in shooting percentage (46.1%).

His statistics following Wednesday's game are below:

Year        G/GS    FG      3FG     FT    REB   AST  STL BLK  PTS  AVG
2007-08     16/0   34-70    11-23   12-23    39  34  14   1    91  5.7
2008-09     31/31 136-282   31-96   84-116   94 117  34   3   387 12.5
2009-10     34/34 183-389   43-128 108-139  101 138  51   9   517 15.2 
2010-11     28/28 118-279   42-120  90-114   81 150  41   3   366 13.0
Total      109/93 471-1020 127-367 294-392  315 439 140  16  1363 12.5

The son of Orlando and Diane Wright, Chris will be honored Saturday at Senior Day versus Syracuse. Congratulations to Chris and his family for his four seasons on the Hilltop.

Senior Salute: Julian Vaughn

2/23/11

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.

Four years ago, Georgetown didn't sign a big man in its freshman class, with sophomore Vernon Macklin as the heir presumptive to Roy Hibbert in the pivot. And so it was when the 2007-08 season began, Reston's Julian Vaughn was someplace else--about 1,000 miles south of Washington in Tallahassee, FL.

Vaughn, named "Mr. Basketball" in the state of Virginia by the Roanoke Times from his senior year at Oak Hill Academy, averaged 3.0 points and 2.8 rebounds for the Seminoles that season. By the end of his freshman season, Vaughn applied for and received a waiver to transfer to Georgetown.

Vaughn's first season in the Blue and Gray was as a reserve to a front line that included future NBA picks such as Greg Monroe and Dajuan Summers. Vaughn played sparingly, averaging just 1.8 points per game in 30 of the team's 31 games that season. Vaughn's hard work and perseverance continued to grow, despite injuries and setbacks. By the 2009-10 season, he joined the starting lineup alongside Monroe and picked up his numbers significantly, averaging 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds with a team-best 57% from the field. But with Monroe in the spotlight, Vaughn played a secondary role inside.

Senior year has been a different story. Vaughn worked in the off-season with Roy Hibbert to establish his inside moves, and developed a hook shot that has served him well. Vaughn's dedicated play inside has been vital as Georgetown has fought through the 2010-11 Big East race, especially as its three guards have enjoyed good and bad nights on the court. In late January, Vaughn's 7 for 7 free throws helped Georgetown upset Villanova, his 14 points and 11 rebounds allowed Georgetown to escape an upset bid by Providence, and his 12 points and eight rebounds paced the big road win over Syracuse. Entering Wednesday's game versus Cincinnati, Vaughn's 9.0 points is fourth on the team, and he leads the team in rebounds with 6.2 a game. With 52 blocks this season and 119 overall, Vaughn has quietly joined an exclusive club of Georgetown big men, ranking 13th all time in blocked shots.

"At both ends of the court, Julian is playing at a high level, and it's coming at a time when we need it," coach John Thompson III told the Washington Post. "I don't want to think of it as a stretch. I want to think of it as, this is who he is now."

Much like Don Reid did a generation earlier, Julian Vaughn's no-nonsense approach to basketball has taken him from the end of the bench to the starting lineup on Senior Day, and he has been a vital contributor to the success enjoyed by the Hoyas over his tenure at Georgetown.

Or as Vaughn told the Post, "I'd rather be a second-half guy than a first-half guy."

His statistics entering this week are below:

Year        G/GS      FG    3FG     FT     REB  AST  STL BLK  PTS  AVG
2008-09     30/0    21-40   0-6   12-22    50   19    6  18    54   1.8
2009-10     34/34  103-173  3-11  36-63   148   49   10  49   251   7.4
2010-11     26/26   85-151  0-4   64-95   162   42    8  52   234   9.0
Total       90/60  209-364  3-21 112-180  360  110   24 119   539   5.9

The son of Eric and Marcia Vaughn, Julian will be honored Saturday at Senior Day versus Syracuse. Congratulations to Julian and his family for his three seasons on the Hilltop.

Senior Salute: Ryan Dougherty

2/22/11

In the list of All-Met winners in the 2006-07 season, there were some familiar names: Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, Jason Clark. Down the list in the "honorable mention" list was 6-0 guard Ryan Dougherty, whose road to Senior Day on Saturday is as unusual as it is inspiring.

Dougherty grew up a WCAC fan, but opted to attend St. Alban's of the IAC rather than his father's alma mater at Good Counsel. Despite averaging 20 points a game as a senior and being named 2007 IAC Player of the Year, Dougherty attracted scant attention from Division I schools, even less so when he broke his arm late in his senior season playing lacrosse. He enrolled at Division III Rochester but the injury limited him to just 12 points in 14 games.

Dougherty, a Kenner League alumnus, began to work out at Georgetown in the summer of 2008 to improve his skills to make the starting lineup at Rochester. During the summer, he considered transferring to Georgetown, was accepted, and then took a big chance: he approached coach Thompson about a tryout.

"Coach Thompson later told me that he had called a couple people in the area to find out about me, because more than skill he had wanted to find out what kind of people were trying out for the team," Dougherty told DC Sportsfan.com. "He told me 'people he trusted' had told him that he would never regret adding me to the team and that I would 'shock him' with just how much I contributed." Though Dougherty didn't join the roster until 2009-10 and his playing time has been limited since, his efforts off the court did not go unnoticed. last April, coach Thompson named him a tri-captain for the 2010-11 season, the first captain selected from the walk-on ranks since the 1945-46 season.

"I was stunned, but I felt so honored that he would recognize me like that," Dougherty said. It is quite a privilege to get bestowed on me.”

Dougherty played 13 minutes over 10 games last season, and only seven minutes in five games this season. His layup with one second remaining on Dec. 12, 2010 versus Appalachian State represents his only points in a Georgetown uniform. But Dougherty's life experiences at Georgetown far exceed his statistics, for his perseverance and dedication to the game will serve him well as in the years to come.

His statistics entering this week are below:

Year        G/GS     FG    3FG     FT    REB AST  STL BLK  PTS  AVG
2008-09     Did not play--sat out due to transfer
2009-10     10/0     0-3    0-0    0-0     0   0    0   0    0  0.0
2010-11      5/0     1-1    0-0    0-0     0   0    0   0    2  0.4
Total       15/0     1-4    0-0    0-0     0   0    0   0    2  0.1

The son of Thomas and Kathleen Dougherty, Ryan will be honored Saturday at Senior Day versus Syracuse. Congratulations to Ryan and his family for his two seasons on the Hilltop.

Strength of Schedule

2/21/11

One of the under reported success stories of the 2010-11 season was the precision by which John Thompson III and his staff not only created the non-conference schedule but how that schedule has helped Georgetown's standing. Of the 12 non-conference games this season, six were against teams which have compiled 20 or more wins this season:

1. Old Dominion (22-6, RPI 28)
2. Coastal Carolina (21-3, RPI 84)
3. Missouri (20-6, RPI 29)
4. Utah State (24-3, RPI 18)
5. Temple (21-5, RPI 30)
6. Memphis (20-7, RPI 34)

Add in the games against Big East teams and here's a number that the selection committee will take notice: by the end of this week, Georgetown will have played nearly half (14 of 29) of its games against teams currently ranked in the RPI top 30. Amazing.

Georgetown 61, South Florida 55

2/20/11

A season high 26 points from Chris Wright helped the Georgetown Hoyas stay a step up of the dog pile that is the Big East standings and earned itself an important 10th win in a 61-55 win at South Florida. But as any game with South Florida has been over the years, it wasn't easy.

A sluggish opening awaited both teams. Georgetown missed its first four shots and did not get on the board until the 17:27 mark of the half, as Georgetown struggled from outside and was ineffective getting points inside. The Hoyas led by four, 12-8, before USF went on a 15-5 run, punctuated by numerous offensive rebounds and second chance points, in building a 24-17 lead with 7:15 in the half. Weight accounted for 10 of the Hoyas' first 17 points, as Austin Freeman was not a factor scoring, finishing with no points in the half. The Hoyas fought back on defense, holding the Bulls to a single field goal in the final seven minutes as Georgetown tied the score at 24 with 2:02 left and took the lead at the break on a Julian Vaughn basket with seven seconds to the break, 28-26. The Bulls carried a 20-14 rebound advantage into intermission, and owned an impressive 12-2 advantage on offensive rebounds. The Hoyas began to close off the inside game for USF early in the second, going on a 10-4 run to push the lead to eight inside 14 minutes to play, but neither team had the firepower to push the game one way or the other. Freeman was still scoreless, and GU was not crisp in the motion offense. For its part, USF had no outside game and relied almost exclusively on second chance points. With 8:54 to play, the lead was cut to as close as four, but a mid-half stretch was pivotal in the game. Up five, the Hoyas missed on a short jumper. Off the miss, Nate Lubick saved the possession by diving for the ball, which found its way to Wright for a jumper, 45-38. The Hoyas held on the ensuing basket, but Jason Clark picked up a steal at midcourt and found Wright, 47-38. Down nine, USF forward Gus Gilchrist collided with Lubick under the USF basket, but was called for traveling instead of going to the line. The Hoyas then followed up with a big rebound by Lubick and a Clark jumper to extended the lead to 11 with 6:41 left. The lead was vital because Georgetown's offensive possessions were now more about moving the clock than the scoreboard, and GU could not hold the lead. The Bulls cut the margin to seven, 49-42, but answered with a spinning layup from Hollis Thompson, 51-42. USF was now going inside hoping for fouls and points, and was able to drive with relative ease. USF cut the lead to four at 55-51 with 53 seconds left, then turned over Wright in the GU backcourt. The Bulls' hopes for the upset ran into Hollis Thompson, who blocked the succeeding shot and got the ball to Wright, and the foul line which soon followed. Wright went 6-6 from the line in the final 29 seconds as the Bulls could not gain ground thereafter.

12-2 USF adv. on off. rebounds, 1st half 5-5 Teams even on off. rebounds, 2nd half 0-4 3 pt. shooting, Austin Freeman 1 Missed FT's by GU 1 Missed FT's by USF 6-13 GU 3 pt. shooting 1-12 USF 3 pt. shooting +9 USF advantage, pts. off turnovers +11 USF advantage, 2nd chance pts. 0-10 USF record vs. ranked opponents (Last win: 2/3/10 vs. Georgetown)

Wright (8-12, 26 points) was the star of the game, with 10 from Clark and eight from Vaughn. Freeman finished 2-10 in the game and was the only starter shooting less than 50% for the game. The Bulls shot 39% for the game but were just 1-12 from three point range, with only three attempts after halftime.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:

            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wright       34   6-9   2-3   8-8   3   4  0   26
Clark        31   2-3   2-3   0-0   3   1  2   10
Freeman      34   2-6   0-4   0-0   8   2  2    4
Lubick       28   1-2   1-1   0-0   5   2  1    5 
Vaughn       26   3-4   0-0   2-2   3   3  3    8
Reserves:
Thompson     18   2-4   1-1   0-0   0   1  1    7
Starks        6   0-0   0-1   0-0   0   0  1    0
Sims         14   0-1   0-0   0-0   3   1  2    0 
Benimon       9   0-1   0-0   1-2   0   1  0    1
Team Rebounds                       2
DNP: Sanford, Dougherty, Caprio, Bowen, Ayegba
TOTALS      200 16-30  6-13  11-12 27  15 12   61

Post game articles follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• GoUSF Bulls.com
• Associated Press
• St. Petersburg Times
• Tampa Tribune
• Washington Post

Connecticut 78, Georgetown 70

Updated 2/17/11

Connecticut's Kemba Walker burnished his resume for the NBA as his 31 points led the #12-ranked Huskies defeated the Georgetown Hoyas, 78-70, in a game that was close into the final four minutes of the game. The loss ends Georgetown's eight game win streak dating to January 15.

A Chris Wright three opened the half for Georgetown, which prospered early despite from a down game from Austin Freeman following his ankle injury versus Marquette. Freeman, who told ESPN before the game that he was fine, was a step slow and his shot was never quite there, but Georgetown was able to leverage good defense and 16 points in the paint to take an early lead on the homestanding Huskies, 23-13.

To this point in the game, Kemba Walker was 1 for 4 with a turnover, but a three pointer with 9:24 in the half signaled his arrival in the game, helping the Huskies whittle down the Georgetown lead. A pair of 7-2 runs cut the lead to three, 32-29, where Walker added two assists and a jumper to see UConn take the lead 36-34 before Wright answered with a three with 20 seconds left to give Georgetown a 37-36 lead at the break.

Matching his first half form, Wright hit a three pointer at the start of the second half, but the Huskies were much more aggressive in going inside against the Hoyas to open the second half. Walker scored two baskets and collected two assists in a 9-0 run, including a playground move where he banked the ball hard off the backboard and grabbed his own offensive rebound for the put-in. I haven't seen the bank play in quite some time [in a game], as in, never," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said to the Associated Press. Georgetown made only two field goals in the first five minutes of the half as Walker's show was in full force, as he scored 14 of the Huskies' next 16 in a run that saw UConn lead by as many as nine. With 8:28 to play, a technical on UConn coach Jim Calhoun allowed Georgetown to close to five, 60-55, whereupon reserve forward Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, averaging 5.4 points per game prior to a 25 point outburst against Providence, scored six straight to keep the Huskies in pace with a Georgetown team which had rediscovered its shot. A three from Wright closed the lead to four and a layup from Freeman gave Georgetown a 70-69 lead with 4:01 left, but none thereafter. On its next series, Walker drove for the basket, 71-70, but Georgetown came up empty as Vaughn missed a short hook shot. The Hoyas held the Huskies but Freeman missed a long three and Walker drove inside with 2:10 to play, 73-70. On its next series, Clark missed from long range. Georgetown held UConn a second time thanks to a shot clock violation, but Wright missed a jumper and Walker added one of two from the line, 74-70. Back came the Hoyas, but with 27 seconds Wright missed again from outside, and UConn's Jeremy Lamb added one of two from the line, 75-70. A sixth straight miss was returned with a split decision at the line, 76-70, and following GU's seventh straight miss, Alex Oriakhi failed to pull the ball back with three seconds left and padded his stats with a cheap dunk, 78-70. After extraordinary play late in the previous eight games, Georgetown simply lost the touch in the late stretches of this one. The Hoyas had shot a respectable 50% in the second half entering the final four minutes, but ended up 43% overall. Walker (11-23) and Coombs-McDaniel shot a combined 23-32 in the game, the rest of the team just 9-27. Walker's 31 points narrowly missed the top 10 opponents totals in Big East play against the Hoyas, while his 10 assists were the most by an opponent since Jerel McNeal added 11 on Jan. 31, 2009.

1 First game GU held a halftime lead this season and lost 1 First game UConn allowed a B.E. team 70 points this season and won 1-5 2nd half shooting, Austin Freeman 9-14 2nd half shooting, Kemba Walker 0-7 GU shooting, last 4:00 of game 3-4 UConn shooting, last 4:00 of game +3 GU advantage, pts. off turnovers, first half +6 UConn advantage, pts. off turnovers, second half 7 Games Kemba Walker has scored 30+ pts. this season

"Suffice it to say, that was a terrific win for us," said UConn coach Jim Calhoun in post-game comments. "Georgetown is just a tremendous basketball team. They gave us some match-up problems. We were nervous about that. We think we can play the two big guys together, but then last game we switched out of that and used Jamal a lot more. That seemed to be a good idea, and that became an even better idea tonight."

John Thompson III took a contrary view.

"Our defense was horrible today," said. "Kemba's a very good player and they put him in position to make plays. I don't think we did a good job of helping each other and rotating in support... It's easy just to look at the two people who are involved - the guy who's man is setting the pick and the guy trying to guard Kemba - but the other three people on the court were not there to help and support. And that's a large part of the reason he was able to get to the rim as much as he did. We just didn't have enough help and support. The few times we tried to double him or trap him, it seems like every time we tried to do that we got a foul called. "

Wright led all Georgetown scorers with 19, and was 5-9 from three point range for a second straight game.

"The offensive end was not the issue," said Wright. "It was more the defensive end and containing off the screen and roll. It was a tough game. And as a team, we didn't play our usual defense so there were a lot of easy layups and easy shots for Kemba and his teammates."

"The Big East is kind of compact right now," said Coombs-McDaniel. "There's a bunch of five loss teams. We're just trying to get our spot in the Big East Tournament."

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:

            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wright       35   2-8   5-9   0-0   3   5  3   19
Clark        30   5-6   1-3   0-0   1   2  2   13
Freeman      35   4-9   0-4   4-6   7   4  4   12
Lubick       27   3-4   0-1   0-0   8   1  3    6 
Vaughn       30   4-9   0-0   1-2   3   1  2    9
Reserves:
Thompson     25   2-4   2-3   0-0   2   0  1   10
Starks        3   0-0   0-1   0-0   1   0  0    0
Sanford       1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0  0    0
Sims         10   0-4   0-0   1-2   3   1  2    1 
Benimon       4   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0  0    0
Team Rebounds                       7
DNP: Dougherty, Caprio, Bowen, Ayegba
TOTALS      200 20-44  8-21   6-10 35  14 27   70

Post game articles follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• UConnHuskies.com
• Associated Press
• Georgetown Voice
• Greenwich Time
• Hartford Courant
• Hartford Courant (2)
• The HOYA
• Hoya Hoops
• Hoya Saxa Nation
• Norwich Bulletin
• UConn Blog
• UConn Daily Campus
• UConn Daily Campus (2)
• Washington Post
• Waterbury Republican American

The Secret Of Their Success

2/16/11

Columnist Jason Reid of the Washington Post discusses what he sees as the key driver in the Hoyas' turnaround from its 1-4 start in Big East play: defense.

"Whether closing out Missouri during an overtime victory in November or pulling away from Memphis in the second half in December, Georgetown led with its defense," Reid said. That's what the Hoyas had to rediscover. That's what Thompson had to get through to them during those seven days spent only practicing in January, or it could have all fallen apart as it did two seasons ago."

As noted by Reid, Georgetown has held six of its last eight opponents under 41%, and none more than 46% from the field.

"It's not about any systems or schemes," said coach John Thompson III. "It's about just tightening up your belt strap and guarding someone."

Georgetown 69, Marquette 60

Updated 2/14/11

Georgetown's eighth win in as many games was anything but smooth sailing. On the contrary, the Hoyas fought off waves of Marquette substitutions and some choppy first half shooting, with a second half surge to sink the Warriors, 69-60, before 14,284 at Verizon Center Sunday.

Early returns from the game were not promising. Georgetown opened the game by missing seven straight three point attempts as Marquette held a 13-6 lead just eight minutes into the first half. Marquette was busy with substitutions throughout the first half, bringing in as many as four different players at a time to keep its starters fresh and to confuse Georgetown's defensive sets. One of its best substitutions was reserve center Davante Gardner, who leveraged his size to score seven of Marquette's first 17 points and nine by halftime.

For its part, Georgetown could not develop an offensive flow with the poor outside shooting and were hurt with second chance points, as Marquette extended its lead to as many as nine in the first half from its only three pointer of the half by guard Darius Johnson-Odom. Unfortunately for Johnson-Odom, his post-shot comments were picked up the referee and assessed a technical foul. Two free throws by Austin Freeman and a subsequent three from Chris Wright narrowed the lead to three, 29-26, but MU went inside on each of its next three possessions and reclaimed the nine point lead, 35-26.

With two minutes to play, then down seven, Freeman sprained his ankle diving for a loose ball and hobbled awkwardly to the locker room.

"I got on the floor and somebody landed on my ankle. It rolled," Freeman recalled.

In the interim, Chris Wright stepped up, adding a basket, a free throw, and an assist to Nate Lubick as Georgetown closed the lead to four at the break, 35-31, in a ragged first half that was heightened by Freeman's uneasy exit from the floor.

"[At halftime] I was just trying to get up and see if I can walk on it," Freeman said after the game. "I told the trainer that I was going to play anyways so I just told her to tape me up and I just went back out there."

The second half opened slowly, as each team could connect on only one field goal in the first four minutes of play. Georgetown had adjusted its defense at the break to be much more focused on Marquette's inside moves, and while the strategy was effective (MU opened 1-5 from the floor in the second), the boost to Georgetown was limited by the Hoyas' own shooting woes (GU opened 2-8). Down three, the Hoyas were helped by two missed free throws by Marquette's Jae Crowder and a subsequent foul on Davante Gardner, his fourth, which opened up scoring options for Georgetown inside. At the same time, Marquette's shooting options grew cold. Austin Freeman got the Hoyas going, with a drive that marked his first points of the second half and closed the gap to one. Freeman answered the bell on the Hoyas' next possession with a jumper to give Georgetown its first lead of the game, 42-41, and Hollis Thompson picked up a three to push the newly gained lead to four, 45-41. Marquette had scored two field goals in nearly 14 minutes, but stayed close at the line. Consecutive two shot free throws tied the score at 45, and the Georgetown lead hung between one and three points entering the final seven minutes. With 7:07 to play, Gardner picked up his fifth foul as Henry Sims went strong to the basket and converted the foul, 55-50, and Georgetown went to work. "One play that really sticks out to me was when Henry got an and-one," Wright said after the game. "I think he made the free throw and put us up by five. That was a big turning point." Following Sims' free throw, a Jimmy Butler turnover was converted into a Freeman layup, 57-50, while a pair of fouls sent Jason Clark to convert 4-4 at the line. Georgetown now led by 10 with 3:43 to play, but the game was far from over. Over a two minute period, Darius Johnson-Odom took over the Marquette offense: an open three to cut the lead to seven, two free throws to cut the lead to five, and a turnover on Wright that Johnson-Odom took for the layup, 63-60, with 1:43 left. "They made a good play," Wright said. I threw the ball, it was a bad judgment. I always beat myself up at the end of games because I made a couple of bad plays down the stretch; time management wasn't good." On Georgetown's next possession, Freeman missed a three but Hollis Thompson picked up a key offensive rebound and fed Julian Vaughn, whose defender had slipped, for the easy dunk, 65-60. On the next play, a bad pass into the backcourt cost Marquette a key possession, and following Jason Clark free throws to go up 67-60, Jae Crowder missed two free throws with :17 seconds left, ending any hopes of a last second run. "We didn't play well," said coach John Thompson III in post-game comments. "You have to give them credit for that. They do a very good job of taking you out of your rhythm and running, jumping trapping and playing hard." For its part, Georgetown's defense was much improved in the second half and Marquette's statistics were evidence of this. The Warriors connected only only seven field goals in the second half, four from Johnson-Odom, missed eight of nine from three point range, suffered nine turnovers, and missed seven of 17 free throws, opening the door for a Georgetown team that was in need of a rally to pull ahead in this game.

26 No. of 20-win seasons in GU basketball history 4.4 Avg. margin of defeat in prior 9 losses by Marquette in 2010-11 2 Losses by Marquette of > 9 pts in last 2 seasons, both to Georgetown 9-39 Combined 3-pt shooting, both teams 2-5 GU shooting, last 5:00 of game 3-9 MU shooting, last 5:00 of game 10 Marquette second chance points, first half 0 Marquette second chance points, second half 6 Marquette offensive rebounds, first half 1 Marquette offensive rebounds, second half +8 MU advantage, pts. in paint +6 GU advantage, pts. off turnovers 3-7 MU record in games decided by <6 pts, 2010-11

"In the first half, they out-rebounded us and coming out of the locker room at the half time, we emphasized boxing out and getting rebounds," said sophomore Hollis Thompson, who responded with a career high 13 rebounds, 12 in the second half. "I think my teammates did a great job boxing out which allowed me to come in and get the boards. As a team we really focus on getting down there and all five of us getting the boards."

Georgetown's three point numbers (7-27) approached a season low, with Chris Wright hitting 5-9 and the rest of the team combining to shoot just 2-18. Wright's 20 points led all scorers, but was aided with a strong effort from Freeman in the second half and key baskets from Sims, Lubick, and Vaughn at important points of the game.

"We won eight games and we are still in third place," said Wright. "It just goes to show that as the season goes on, it doesn't matter who you play, every team is very good." Next up, another good one: #10-ranked Connecticut, which got a career high 25 from reserve Jamal Coombs-McDaniel to muscle past Providence in the second half, 75-57.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:

            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wright       35   1-4   5-9   3-4   4   5  1   20
Clark        31   0-1   0-2   6-6   1   4  3    6
Freeman      34   6-9   1-8   2-3   2   3  0   17
Lubick       19   3-3   0-1   2-2   3   0  1    8 
Vaughn       22   3-5   0-1   0-0   5   1  5    6
Reserves:
Thompson     31   0-1   1-4   2-2  13   0  3    5
Starks        6   0-0   0-2   0-0   0   1  2    0
Sanford       1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0  1    0
Sims         16   3-4   0-0   1-1   3   0  2    7 
Benimon       5   0-0   0-0   0-0   1   0  3    0
Team Rebounds                       1
DNP: Dougherty, Caprio, Bowen, Ayegba
TOTALS      200 16-27  7-27  16-18 33  14 21   69

Post game articles follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• GoMarquette.com
• Associated Press
• The HOYA
• The HOYA (2)
• Hoya Hoops: Georgetown Breakdown
• Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
• Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (2)
• New York Daily News
• Washington Examiner
• Washington Post

Georgetown 64, Syracuse 56

2/9/11

"Pittsburgh is still the best team in this conference. But at this point, [if] any team can challenge the Panthers, that team appears to be the Georgetown Hoyas."--ESPN.com

The Georgetown Hoyas rallied for a 64-56 win over #12-ranked Syracuse, holding the Orangemen to one field goal in the final nine minutes of the game for their seventh straight win of the season. The win ended a nine year losing streak at the Carrier Dome, and marked the largest margin of victory by a Georgetown team playing in Syracuse since the 1983-84 season.

“It feels good,” said coach John Thompson III on his first win in the Carrier Dome in seven tries. “I said a lot of prayers this week.”

Georgetown needed a strong start in the game and got it, with four three pointers in the first eight minutes of the first half to lead by six, 16-10. Syracuse was especially strong inside on second chance points, and answered with a 13-2 run over the next six minutes that turned the score to a five point lead, 23-18. Off the bench, freshman Markel Starks punctuated a 8-2 run with a three pointer and a basket and foul to give Georgetown a 26-25 lead, as both teams were strong on both ends of the court. A Hollis Thompson three with 1:15 in the half just beat the shot clock, and Syracuse got a late jumper from Dion Waiters to lead 31-29 at the half.

The second half was a war of attrition, as Syracuse's 2-3 zone and Georgetown's perimeter sets kept the game tight throughout. The orangemen were able to build a quick six point lead to open the second half, but georgetown began to crack the interior defenses with a hook shot from Julian Vaughn and a layup from Austin Freeman to close to three, followed by a Hollis Thompson three to tie the score at 37 at the 16:38 mark. A pair of offensive fouls sent Syracuse big man Rick Jackson to the bench, but his place was ably filled by freshman Baye Moussa Keita, with four points, four rebounds, and five blocks.

With Jackson on the bench, Vaughn began to leverage his frame on Keita, getting a hook shot inside while a Freeman three pushed the lead to four midway in the half, 44-40. The Orangemen turned up the defensive pressure, forcing turnovers on Georgetown's next three possessions, whereupon freshman C.J. Fair picked up two layups in 30 seconds to tie the score, followed by a basket and foul by Kris Joseph to complete a 7-0 run and a three point lead, 47-44. The Hoyas returned to Vaughn inside, who picked up a basket and a foul shot before he picked up his fourth foul at the 9:00 mark, down four. In a remarkable series that saw the Hoyas pick off three offensive rebounds off of missed outside shots, Chris Wright went inside to close the lead to two, 51-49, and the Hoyas began to take over an inside game that the Orangemen had contained most of the game. A C.J. Fair basket with 6:40 left was the only Syracuse basket the rest of the way, 53-49, as Georgetown began to move inside. Henry Sims picked up a foul and a foul shot on the next series, 53-51, but Rick Jackson's jumper was short and Georgetown controlled the ball, with Wright finding Nate Lubick for a dunk, 53-52. Both teams missed from outside, and following two Brandon Triche free throws, Syracuse held a 55-52 lead with 4:08 remaining, where Jason Clark pass to an open Hollis Thompson from three tied the score and sent momentum to the Hoyas. Clark picked up a turnover on Syracuse's next possession, whereupon Chris Wright caught the Orangemen late on defense and launched a court-length pass to Freeman for the driving layup, 57-55. For a team which is not usually rattled, Syracuse's offensive choices down the stretch were puzzling. Twenty eight of its 55 points had come in the paint, but the Orange looked outside, where their three point shooting has been sketchy much of the season. On its next possession, Kris Joseph launched up an errant three, where Julian Vaughn picked up the rebound and found Jason Clark for a backdoor layup, 59-55. Triche launched up another three, missed, answered by Clark taking it inside for Georgetown's third layup in 1:18, 61-55. Scoop Jardine got to the free throw line with 1:31 with a chance to stop the bleeding and rally the 26,904 in attendance, but he missed the back end of the two shot foul and the Hoyas were able pick up an offensive rebound and to run almost forty seconds off the fleeting clock in return. A pair of free throws by Clark and one more by Wright extended the Georgetown lead to eight, while Syracuse took two more threes and missed both to end the game. For the second half, Georgetown shot 50 percent from the field and 67% (10-15) from inside the three point arc, thanks to a 3-3 effort from Vaughn and the run of layups that put the game away. Austin Freeman led all Georgetown scorers with 14 points, ably assisted by 12 from Julian Vaughn, 12 from Jason Clark, and 11 from Hollis Thompson, 3-3 from outside. Vaughn's inside play was solid throughout, and Georgetown was able to contain Jackson offensively to just 1-6 from the field with three turnovers.

5-7 GU shooting, last 5:00 of game 0-7 SU shooting, last 5:00 of game 3 Minutes played by Syracuse center Fab Melo, pre-season Big East Rookie Of The Year (0 pts) 9 Lead changes in game 20 GU assists on 24 field goals 11 SU blocks, most by a GU opponent since 3/1/2003 +6 GU advantage, rebounding +6 GU advantage, pts. off turnovers 56 Fewest points scored by SU in Big East this season 3-3 SU home record in Big East this season 2/24/2002 Last GU win at Carrier Dome prior to this game

"I think maybe after sitting out, you don’t want to come back in and get a foul," said Jackson. "I didn’t want to get a foul, so I kind of played timid."

The Orangemen were led with 14 points from Kris Joseph, who scored only four of his 14 after halftime.

The statistic of the game is found in points in the paint. In its two wins prior to Wednesday's game, Syracuse had a combined 32 point advantage inside. For this game, the two teams played to a draw inside (28-28), which allowed Georgetown's outside shooting a chance to make the difference.

"The main difference between this year and last year was I think we’re at least as good defensively, but we just can’t score enough," said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. "We’ve got to be able to score more points. We had control of the game, we had a lot of stops and we kept coming down, but we just could not get the ball in the basket offensively. Eventually, that’s going to catch up with you. You’ve got to score some points.”

"Georgetown’s obviously a very good team. They’ve played well on the road this year and we just didn’t make the plays that we had to make there at the end.”

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:

            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wright       38   1-5   1-3   1-2   5   9  3    6
Clark        29   2-4   2-7   2-2   3   5  1   12
Freeman      37   4-9   2-6   0-0   4   2  2   14
Lubick       25   1-2   0-1   0-0   1   1  1    2 
Vaughn       21   5-8   0-0   2-6   8   1  4   12
Reserves:
Thompson     24   1-2   3-3   0-0   5   2  2   11
Starks       10   1-1   1-1   1-1   0   0  1    6
Sims         11   0-1   0-0   1-2   1   0  2    1 
Benimon       5   0-0   0-0   0-0   1   0  1    0
Team Rebounds                       6
DNP: Sanford, Dougherty, Caprio, Bowen, Ayegba
TOTALS      200 15-32  9-21   7-13 34  20 17   64

Post game articles follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• Syracuse Athletics
• Associated Press
• Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin
• Casual Hoya
• Daily Orange
• Elmira Star-Gazette
• ESPN.com
• The HOYA
• Ithaca Journal
• SB Nation New York
• SB Nation Washington DC
• SU Juice Online
• Syracuse Post-Standard
• Syracuse Post-Standard (2)
• Syracuse Post-Standard (3)
• Syracuse Post-Standard (4)
• Washington Post
• Utica Observer-Dispatch

A Gift of Life

Updated 2/9/11

Georgetown basketball fans know the story of Alonzo Mourning (C'92), whose battle with kidney disease is well documented. This past week, former Georgetown baseball player Tom Walter (B'91) has made some news on this front as well. Walter, the head baseball coach at Wake Forest, donated a kidney to a student on his team suffering from a life-threatening kidney disease, after none of the player's family members proved a suitable match.

"If he makes it back to the playing field, that would be a great story," Walter said. "But I just want him to have a normal life and have the chance to be a normal college student."

A Wake Forest blog summed up the feelings of many in that community:

"Pro Humanitate (for the good of humanity) is the motto of Wake Forest University. As a student here, I have observed that some take this more seriously than others. President Nathan Hatch and Athletic Director Ron Wellman certainly take this very seriously when hiring professors or coaches here as well. It is hard to imagine that anybody on campus, or really in all of college athletics, embodies this motto more than head baseball coach Tom Walter. You see to him, "family" and "Pro Humanitate" are not just phrases that he throws around on the recruiting trail. Once an athlete signs their letter of intent to play baseball for him, they become family, and he would do absolutely anything for him. That's why when Wake Forest baseball player Kevin Jordan, who suffers from ANCA vasculitis, needed a new kidney, Tom Walter decided to give him one of his own..."

"At times we all lose sight of the fact that college athletics are about much more than wins and losses. It is funny how it takes something this serious to remind us of that. It is a true honor and privilege to have men of such high character at our beloved [alma mater], and makes me as proud as I have ever been to be a Demon Deacon. Tom Walter can now add another title to his resume in life: hero. His wife, players and kids already knew it, and now the world knows it. Thank you Tom Walter, for making the world a better place, and giving our youth of today a real hero to emulate, both on and off the field."

The story was picked up by NBC News and you can view the video here. Additional coverage follows in this link to ESPN.com. Recommended reading.

Editorial: Four Years Later

2/9/11

Four years ago, optimism was in the air.

On Feb. 9, 2007, Georgetown celebrated its 100th anniversary of basketball with a alumni reception followed the next day by a win over Marquette and a gala dinner in downtown Washington. Never mind that it hadn't won a Big East title (yet) in 18 years, had one NCAA tournament berth in the past six years, or that it had not seen a Final Four (yet) in 22 years--this was a program on the rise and we all knew it. Lightning had struck twice, and John Thompson III was taking Georgetown back to the summit of the game faster than anyone would have dared dream it.

The lasting memory from that anniversary dinner is not the tributes, the All-Century team, or the Athletic Hall of Fame medal awarded to Patrick Ewing, but the words of wisdom--and warning--from former coach John Thompson. But did we get the message?

Thompson's warning came about the state of facilities for athletics in general, and specifically men's basketball. In 2007, Georgetown was one of two Top 25 programs without a basketball practice facility, and the elder Thompson minced no words: if Georgetown didn't get that facility built, he would see that his son was coaching elsewhere someday. Sure, there was a chill in the air after that one, but we all knew it needed to be done. Just around the corner, we thought.

It's now been four years and the practice facility (aka the Athletic Training Facility) is still a great idea and nothing more in the vast firmament of the Hilltop. Conceived two decades ago, and once promoted as part of a convocation center as late as 2003, the drive for a training facility did not get financial traction during Bernard Muir's administration as athletic director, and is now without an architect, as University Architect Alan Brangman followed Muir to Delaware in December. A training facility should be, but may or may not be, a stated priority in the capital campaign plans as the details have not been publicly disclosed. But in the end, it comes down to money--Georgetown doesn't have it, and those that can afford it haven't offered to do so.

Good people can agree to disagree on who needs to step forward from the alumni, philanthropic, or NBA community to do this, but it's incumbent for Georgetown to let everyone know that, after years of talk, it's time to move forward, so that the elder Thompson's warning was not in vain.

John Thompson III continues to share space in a building largely unchanged since his father played there 50 years ago as a high schooler at Carroll. It's not just that Georgetown lags behind the Top 25 (which it surely does), or even the rest of the Big East (as well), but almost everyone else in major college athletics--Georgetown Prep  has better facilities that the athletic flagship program of Georgetown University. Thompson is expected to recruit at the highest level, but with an obsolete building from the Truman administration, when Georgetown had only four team sports to account for, not 29. And what is being done in this regard? Good intentions, yes, but still no dirt flying.

I've had people I know and respect assure me that this is moving forward through channels, and I trust them; still, the track record of the Georgetown bureaucracy in this regard ought to worry a lot of us. No pun intended on track, which lost its outdoor running surface in 1996 and never got it back--a Top 25 program with no regulation track to practice or compete on. Remember the Multi-Sport Facility, lauded as "the most significant undertaking in the history of Georgetown Athletics"? It sits unfinished after nearly six years of institutional inertia. The same temporary bleachers erected the day of its opening to account for fans attending the Georgetown-Brown game are still standing there, weathered by years of indifference.

But this is not football, but basketball--Georgetown cannot delay, diminish, or defer this need any longer. We as a University community must step up and visibly support our coaches and players in this effort--not in 2015, not in 2020, but now, to declare this as a priority of the entire University community, not just basketball or Athletics. If we want Georgetown men's (and women's) basketball to be a nationally prominent program and not go back to the days when Craig Esherick and Pat Knapp were trying to keep their teams above water, our current coaches and staff need proper practice, training, and academic facilities, period.

About that other Top 25 program without a practice facility? That would have been Syracuse University, except that they've got one now. The $19 million Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center opened over a year ago and was jump-started by a naming gift from the very NBA star who played just a year on that campus. Just one year.

“It's what we’ve really needed for a while,” coach Jim Boeheim said at the dedication. “I've been in practice facilities that aren't as beautiful that cost the same that ours did. As a practice facility, it will help us get better.”

John Thompson III never asked for a new $150 million arena on campus or a private jet for recruiting, he asked for a training facility available for a University in dire need of providing basic athletic and academic services to over 700 student athletes within its care. It's time for the University to do likewise. Tell us how can we help.

--JR

30 Years At The Carrier Dome

2/8/11

Wednesday's game with #12-ranked Syracuse marks Georgetown's 28th game at the Carrier Dome--excepting Madison Square Garden, no road arena has hosted more Georgetown games in the Big East era.

Wednesday also marks the 30th anniversary of Georgetown's first game in a facility once thought to be too big for college basketball. On Feb. 9, 1981, center Danny Schayes scored 19 points and a Big East record 23 rebounds as the Orangemen upset the Hoyas 66-64 before a then-record 17,092 at the Dome, ending a five game losing streak to Georgetown dating to the 1974-75 season.

One of the hallmarks of the games in Syracuse has been the national rankings of the teams. Since 1982, only three games have been played between the teams in Syracuse where at least one of the teams was not in the Associated Press Top 25. Wednesday, for the 13th time, both teams will be ranked entering the game.

Georgetown is 7-20 all-time in the Carrier Dome and has won just once since the 1994-95 season. Nonetheless, there have been some remarkable performances by both teams over the years in The House That Boeheim Built. In chronological order, Here are ten of the best:

1. Jan. 10, 1983: Georgetown's first win in the Dome came before a then-NCAA record 31,327 to see the #9 ranked Orangemen face a rebuilding Georgetown team. Superlative plays abounded, with Syracuse's Leo Rautins turning in a triple double (12 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists) and Patrick Ewing with 15 points and 10 rebounds. But it was freshman Michael Jackson who turned in a career high 31 points (9-13 from the field, 13-15 from the line) in a 97-92 win.
2. Jan. 28, 1985: 48 hours removed from its 66-65 loss to #2 St. John's that ended a 29 game losing streak, the Hoyas could not escape an inspired Syracuse team. Rafael Addison scored 26 points and 12 rebounds, but it was the buzzer beater by Dwayne (the Pearl) Washington that nearly blew the roof off the Dome in a 65-63 upset of the still-top ranked Hoyas.
3. Feb. 22, 1987: Georgetown's 6-4 "point-center", Perry McDonald saved some of his best games for Syracuse, scoring 27 points and collecting nine rebounds against All-American Rony Seikaly as the #10-ranked Hoyas took a 72-71 win home from Syracuse. The Orangemen had five starters in double figures, but no points from its bench while missing 19 of 34 free throws in the game.
4. Jan. 24, 1988: For four consecutive years from 1985 through 1988, the game was settled by a single point. In this game, little-used center Ben Gillery turned in a career performance with an 11 point, six rebound effort against Rony Seikaly, who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Sherman Douglas, with 12 assists. Georgetown erased a nine point deficit late, but the Orangemen took the lead with :08 left. "Charles Smith will take it all the way!" pronounced CBS' Billy Packer, and that is precisely what the 6-0 junior did, weaving right through the Orange defenses for a finger roll lay-up at the buzzer, 69-68.
5. Mar. 4, 1990: A game that still stings to Hoya fans of that era, an 89-87 loss before a new NCAA record of 33,015. Dwayne Bryant scored a career high 25 as five Hoyas scored in double figures in a raucous, back and forth game that saw coach John Thompson hit with three straight technicals and ejected from a game for the first time in 15 years (whereupon Thompson boldly waved to the crowd as he left the court). Late in regulation, a pair of Alonzo Mourning free throws gave Georgetown an 81-79 lead with four seconds left, only to see senior Sam Jefferson collide with Syracuse's Billy Owens at half court with a second left. Owens's two free throws sent the game into overtime, and the Orangemen pulled away thereafter.
6. Feb. 23, 1992: Alonzo Mourning scored 27 points in his Carrier Dome finale as GU ended a three game losing streak in upstate New York with a 72-68 win, as Georgetown connected on eight free throws in the final 2:22 for the win to end Syracuse's 12 game home win streak against Big East opponents.
7. Mar. 1, 1998: In only the fourth overtime game played between the teams, Shernard Long scored a career high 24 points to get the Hoyas into overtime, but saw Syracuse pull away for a 77-72 win in John Thompson's last game at the Carrier Dome. The two teams combined for 48 fouls and 48 turnovers in the game.
8. Feb. 24, 2002: Georgetown's last win in the building to date spoiled the ceremonies naming the "Jim Boeheim Court" at the Dome. The unranked Hoyas shot 50% from the field as center Wesley Wilson led four starters in double figures for a 75-69 upset of the #25-ranked Orangemen.
9. Jan. 18, 2005: John Thompson III-coached teams are 0-4 in the Carrier Dome, but came closest to a win in his first game there as head coach. The young Hoyas held a 36-32 lead over the #7-ranked Orangemen at halftime but was hit hard by foul trouble, losing Jeff Green to fouls late in the game. A big defensive stop with 30 seconds left gave Georgetown a chance, down two, and Brandon Bowman nearly won the game in regulation, but his foot was judged to be on the three point line on a 22 foot basket and the game went into overtime instead. Syracuse scored the first seven points of overtime, Bowman fouled out thereafter, and the Orangemen earned a 78-73 win.
10. Feb. 14, 2009: Jonny Flynn scores 25 points and 13 assists as the Orangemen won their fourth overtime game at the Dome versus Georgetown, 98-94. The game is also known for the debris showered on Georgetown fans after the game by the ill-tempered hosts.

And last year's game? Not a classic, at least not for Georgetown, as the Hoyas led 14-0 to open the game, but allowed the Orangemen to connect on 13 of its next 20 to give the #4-ranked Orangemen a 34-29 lead at halftime. Syracuse picked up 22 points from 19 Georgetown turnovers and cruised in the second half, 73-56.

Three Tight Wins

2/7/11

Georgetown's six game win streak includes three straight of games won by three points or less, only the second time in the Big East era that a Georgetown has team has done so. Here are the five tightest three game win streaks in the Big East era:

Date	Total Margin of Victory, 3 Games
Jan. 28 through Feb. 5, 2011	8
Jan.10 through Jan.17, 1981	8
Jan. 17 through Jan. 24, 2006	9
Dec. 3 through Dec. 10, 1994	11
Dec. 15 through Dec. 18, 1979	13

 

Georgetown 83, Providence 81

Updated 2/7/11

"It was one of those nights. If we didn't turn it over here and there, we would have won the game."--Marshon Brooks

A remarkable 43 point performance by Providence College's Marshon Brooks rallied the Friars from an 18 point second half deficit and may have been a half second removed from an major upset of the #13-ranked Georgetown Hoyas. Instead, the Hoyas hung on late for an 83-81 win at Verizon Center Saturday, extending its win streak to six.

Marshon Brooks was the star of a game not expected to provide such fireworks. Indeed, when the Hoyas opened up with three pointers in each of its first three possessions to open the game, the Hoyas seemed ready for the challenge. What they saw was Brooks' uncommon ability to keep the Friars alive to open the game and be there all the way to the end.

Brooks scored 16 of the Friars' first 17 points over a 12 minute stretch of the first half which saw the Hoyas lead by as many as eight but struggle with close range shots that could have put the game out of reach. From a 17-9 lead seven minutes into the half, Georgetown missed five shots and a pair of free throws, answered with three baskets from Brooks to close back to five, 21-16. With some additional help by forward Duke Mondy, the Friars stayed close and narrowed the gap to four before the Hoyas' three point shooting returned. Three threes by Jason Clark capped five GU threes in the final six minutes, as Georgetown carried a 12 point lead into the half. The first half scoresheet may have told the eventual story of the game. Brooks finished with 24 at the break, Mondy, eight; the two accounted for all but two points for the entire team. The Friars' four turnovers returned eight points for Georgetown, while eight missed free throws could have been huge for a PC team that was about to get a second wind after the break. Six times in the final six minutes of the half, Providence went to the line and five times missed one or more free throws at the line. Were it not for the free throw shooting and Clark's late threes, the halftime lead would not have been enough twenty minutes later. Georgetown quickly got the lead to 18 in the second, exploiting the middle of the Providence defense while keeping Brooks off the ball. Less successful were opportunities to extend the lead--missed free throws, a missed dunk, and missed threes. Over the next 20 minutes, Georgetown would take 11 three point attempts and miss all 11, giving Providence numerous opportunities to climb back in--and they did. After going 2-8 from outside in the first half, the Friars connected early on two threes in 42 seconds to close the lead to 12, 56-44. Two Georgetown turnovers and two missed layups later, the lead dropped to ten with a Marshon Brooks basket, his first of the half, and not his last. The Hoyas' focus and execution seemed to be air leaking out of a basketball--you could feel it on nearly every play. An ill-advised three from Markel Starks, converted into a PC layup, 62-54. A Julian Vaughn turnover, returned for another layup, 62-56. Three missed free throws by the Hoyas and two offensive rebounds by the Friars, which saw Brooks score in consecutive possessions and close the lead to 63-61 at the eight minute time out. The Hoyas needed to get off the canvas and found it from senior center Julian Vaughn. Vaughn returned from the break with a dunk at the 7:37 mark and a hook shot at the 5:58 mark to lead by six, 69-63. Brooks was matching the Hoyas at every turn, scoring nine straight points for PC as the Friars closed to two at the 5:02 mark. Two big baskets by Austin Freeman and and a turnaround jumper by Vaughn pushed the lead back to eight, 75-67, but even this would not be enough.

8-15 GU 3-pt. shooting first half 0-11 GU 3-pt. shooting second half 8 Missed free throws by PC, first half 10 Missed free throws by GU, second half 17-28 FG shooting, PC's Marshon Brooks (leading scorer) 0-10 FG shooting, PC's Vincent Council (2nd leading scorer) +9 GU advantage, points off turnovers +6 PC advantage, second chance points 0-13 PC road record since Jan. 2010 4-20 PC record at GU since 1980

Georgetown looked to have a safer lead but Jason Clark's foul of Brooks on a three pointer saw the lead cut in half, 75-71. Georgetown picked up two big offensive rebounds and Austin Freeman added two from the line, 76-71, with 1:13 to play. Providence's Duke Mondy caught a break on a quick whistle on a layup drive and the Friars closed to 77-74. Freeman's free throws pushed it back to five, 79-74, entering the final minute, whereupon Bryce Cotton hit his only basket of the game, a three pointer which sliced the lead to two, 79-77.

Georgetown was back at the line with 20 seconds left, this time with Chris Wright, but Wright missed the second free throw and Brooks was ready to go. Brooks blew by his defender and closed to one, 80-79. Fouled immediately, Wright got both free throws, 82-79, and Georgetown called time out, where coach John Thompson III told his team "we're going to foul" if Brooks got the ball. Unfortunately, the officials took him at his word, with a quick whistle as Wright approached Brooks at midcourt with six seconds to play, with two free throws to close to one, 82-81.

Wright was back on the line with 5.5 seconds remaining and missed the first, eliciting a gasp or two from the 16,289 in attendance. The second rolled in, setting up Providence with one more chance. Brooks took the ball to mid-court, where Wright held his ground, Brooks slipped on the floor and hit his head, and the ball came loose with a half second to play. Were it a second earlier, Wright may have been party to one of the great blunders of modern Georgetown history. When Wright fell on the ball, he rolled on top of it and signaled time out; Georgetown had no timeouts and the resultant play would have earned a technical foul and two free throws to the Friars. Instead, Wright's signal was concurrent with the buzzer and no foul was earned.

"Everybody in the gym knew he was going to shoot the ball," Wright said. "He wasn't going to pass it. So I left my man and just had my eyes on the ball and tried make a play." As to the time out call? "I don't remember," he responded slyly.

Austin Freeman led all Georgetown scorers with 23 but the play of Julian Vaughn, as it has through much of this current win streak, was invaluable.

"I just try to play hard every day and make the right plays," said Vaughn, who finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, ten of those points in the second half. There are a lot of perimeter threats on this team so when other coaches decide to guard them close, then I am one-on-one in the paint and I just try and make plays for us to help us win."

Every win matters in the Big East, and now it's on to Syracuse, where the Hoyas will seek to end a six game losing streak at the Carrier Dome, where Georgetown has not won on the Jim Boeheim Court since Feb. 24, 2002.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:

            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:                                 
Wright       35   3-6   2-6   4-6   3   5  2   16
Clark        34   3-5   4-9   0-0   3   2  2   18
Freeman      37   8-10  1-5   4-4   4   2  3   23
Lubick       16   2-5   0-1   1-3   9   1  3    5 
Vaughn       29   4-7   0-0   6-12 11   4  3   14
Reserves:
Thompson     22   0-3   1-3   0-0   4   0  3    3
Starks        5   0-0   0-1   0-0   2   1  1    0
Sanford       1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0  1    0
Sims         11   1-1   0-0   0-2   3   1  1    2 
Benimon      10   1-2   0-1   0-0   2   0  4    2
Team Rebounds                       2
DNP: Dougherty, Caprio, Bowen, Ayegba
TOTALS      200 22-39  8-26  15-27 43  16 23   83

Post game articles follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• Friars.com
• Associated Press
• Casual Hoya
• ESPN.com
• GlideHoyas
• The HOYA
• HoyaHoops.com
• The HOYA
• Providence Journal
• Washington Post

Marshon Brooks' 43 points is the most scored by a Providence player in 20 years, eighth overall in school history, and matches a 43 point effort by John Thompson in December 1963 against Fairfield.

It's also the fourth highest total by a Georgetown opponent, the most since 1964, and the most allowed in any Big East conference game against the Hoyas. Here are the ten highest scorers in a single game by a Georgetown opponent:

	All Players	No.
1.	John Austin, Boston College, 2/21/1964	49
2.	Buzzy Wilkinson, Virginia, 2/9/1954	45
3.	Jack Sullivan, Mt. St. Mary's, 1/24/1957	44
4.	Marshon Brooks, Providence, 2/5/2011	43
5.	Barry Kramer, NYU, 12/7/1962	42
6.	Charlie Ross, Lafayette, 2/14/1959	41
7.	Jon Feldman, George Washington, 1/7/1962	41
8.	Ron Williamson, Howard, 12/15/2000	41
9.	J.J. Redick, Duke, 1/21/2006	41
10.	Kermit Washington, American, 2/24/1973	40
10.	J.R. Rider, UNLV, 1/23/1993	40

 

Here are the ten highest among Big East opponents:

	Player	No.
1.	Marshon Brooks, Providence, 2/5/2011	43
2.	Matt Carroll, Notre Dame, 2/1/2003	36
3.	Johnny Hemsley, Miami, 12/30/1998	35
4.	Harold Pressley, Villanova, 2/15/1986	34
5.	Mark Jackson, St. John's, 2/2/1987	34
6.	Malcolm Huckaby, Boston College, 2/1/1992	34
7.	Marcus Hatten, St. John's, 1/18/2003	34
8.	Chris Mullin, St. John's, 2/21/84	33
9.	Dan Calandrillo, Seton Hall, 2/6/1980	32
10.	Vonteego Cummings, Pitt, 2/7/1991	32

 

The Sixth Man

2/5/11

Saturday's Washington Post examines the development of the Georgetown offense since Sophomore guard Hollis Thompson moved from the starting lineup to the first player off the bench. According to Thompson, the change remains a positive one.

"We've been winning, so how could I complain?" said Thompson. "As long as it works for the team, it works for me."

"A lot of guys could have easily pouted after being told to sit [after] he started so many games this late in the season," said senior Julian Vaughn. "If anything, he's really embraced it and really energized us the past couple of games by giving us a huge spark off the bench."

A related story follows in this link to the Associated Press.

 

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