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Georgetown Basketball: March 2004 News Archive

2003-04 By The Numbers Updated 3/25/04

Following its 68-57 loss to Boston College in the first round of the Big East tournament, the Georgetown University men's basketball team ended its season 13-15, missing the post-season for only the second time since 1974 and its fewest wins since the same 1973-74 season. The loss was only the third time in 25 years Georgetown lost on the opening day of the event, and the first time since the Big East went to a four day format that the Hoyas did not advance to the quarterfinals.

The 2004 NCAA tournament has a lot of prominent programs absent from the event, among them Indiana, UCLA, UNLV, Michigan, St. John's, Villanova, and Georgetown. According to ESPN, it's the first time since 1966 that not one of these schools qualified for the tournament.

Some other bad statistics for the season just concluded:

  • Final RPI: 142, lowest mark since introduction of RPIs in mid-90s
  • Lost final nine games of season, tying a school record
  • Lost 15 of final 18 games after starting season 10-0
  • Lost 12 of 16 in Big East, fewest wins since joining league
  • Lost 13 straight against Big East teams with a winning record
  • Only two wins overall against opponents with winning records
  • Two of 4 Big East wins against Miami, who is leaving the league
  • Combined record of non-conference opponents 146-175 (.444); its December opponents finished only 100-158 (.387)

The Hoyas fared poorly in many statistical categories during Big East play (out of 14 teams):

  • Scoring Offense: 13th
  • Scoring Defense: 10th
  • Field Goal Shooting: 14th
  • Field Goal Defense: 11th
  • Three Point Shooting: 7th
  • Three Point Shooting Defense: 7th
  • Free Throw Shooting: 3rd
  • Rebounding: 12th
  • Rebounding Defense: 12th
  • Assists: 12th
  • Steals: 2nd
  • Blocks: 11th
  • Assist to Turnover Margin: 13th
Schedule Update 3/24/04

Depending on the next coach, the 2004-05 schedule may have a number of changes ahead of it, but the University of Michigan has announced it will host a game with the Hoyas next season, reports the Ann Arbor News. The Wolverines will play in Washington during the 2005-06 season.

All America Teams 3/24/04

The men's and women's All-America teams were announced Tuesday. Georgetown's men's teams received no selections, while Georgetown's Rebekkah Brunson was selected as an honorable mention All-America.

Like another former Oxon hill grad, Mike Sweetney, Brunson deserved better than honorable mention status. Brunson was the first player ever to lead the Big East in scoring and rebounding in a season, and scored 50 double-doubles in her career. A recap of Brunson's accomplishments are found in this link to GUHoyas.com.

Waiting Game 3/22/04

The March 18 Washington Times reported that the search committee for the vacant head coaching position will be two: an unnamed member of the Board of Directors and former athletic director Francis X. Rienzo. (Friday's HOYA identified the board member as Jim Higgins (B'70), a basketball letterman from 1967-70.)

"It's an open and national search, and the search begins immediately," said DeGioia. "It has to unfold as soon as possible to be to everybody's advantage." However, a word of caution: with a committee of two, this will be a private search. Those that know won't be talking.

Memorable Games Of Esherick Era 3/22/04

From previous game reports, here's a look at 20 memorable games, good and bad, of the last six years.

2004-05 Depth Chart 3/15/04

What does 2004-05 hold in store for the Hoyas?

Graduating seniors Gerald Riley, Courtland Freeman, and Omari Faulkner accounted for 39 percent of team scoring this season and the returning lineups remains relatively young and untested.

Here's a tentative depth chart if all recruits arrive and all current players return this fall--statistics listed are 2003-04 points per game averages, with new recruits in italics:

Guard Guard Forward Forward Center
Causey (2.2) Cook (9.2) Owens (8.1) Bowman (15.9) Hibbert
Reed (4.0) Ross (0.0) Guibunda Dizdarevic (1.4) Diaw* (1.3)
Beal* (0.7) Crawford Green Izzo* (0.0)
 
John Thompson Q&A 3/22/04

Sunday's Denver Post has a Q&A-style interview with former Georgetown coach John Thompson. No questions on the recent changes at the Hilltop, but an interesting look at Thompson's life since coaching.

Recruit's Reaction 3/19/04

One group with a unique perspective on the impact of change is incoming recruits. The Staunton (VA) News Leader talked to incoming recruit Tyler Crawford for his reaction.

"Coach Esherick was a real great guy," he said. "He liked me not only as a player but as a student-athlete... I'm sorry I won't get a chance to play for him."

"It's a little hard to focus right now, but as a player there's nothing I can do. I'll just have to wait and see who is named coach," Crawford told the paper.

Local Press Reaction Updated 3/19/04

Washington's daily newspapers have significant coverage in Thursday's editions on the next steps in the process.

Of particular interest: the Washington Times reports that the search committee will be only two: an unnamed member of the Board of Directors and former athletic director Francis X. Rienzo. (Friday's HOYA identified the Board of Directors member as Jim Higgins (B'70), a basketball letterman from 1967-70.)

"It's an open and national search, and the search begins immediately," said DeGioia. "It has to unfold as soon as possible to be to everybody's advantage."

The Post articles discuss many possible candidates, but a word of caution: with a committee of two, this will be a private search. Those that know won't be talking.

Local coverage follows below.

The Day After: DeGioia and Esherick 3/18/04

Georgetown University president Jack DeGioia (C'79) and former head coach Craig Esherick (B'78, L'82) have weighed on the events that led to Esherick's dismissal Tuesday night in this link to the Associated Press.

"We evaluate the success of our program by three standards, " DeGioia said. "We want the very best educational experience for the students. We want to ensure that we conduct ourselves with the highest standards of integrity. And we want to win the national championship." He said Esherick met the first two standards but that "the performance of the program on the court was not consistent with the standards of excellence that we expect."

"We didn't win. That's not a sin. That's not a crime. Clearly, it's not acceptable to Jack," said Esherick. "But Jack is the one that's in charge of the university, and he's the one that has to make those decisions. And I have to live with it."

Post Discusses Georgetown Program 3/18/04

Another Washington Post article discusses the impact of the head coaching job. The reaction is mixed.

"You look at St. Joe's and Gonzaga, two schools that don't have football, and they've been in the top five most of the year," said Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth. "It shows it can be done."

"In the case of Georgetown, I don't think the infrastructure ever developed there," said CBS analyst Billy Packer. "It was John Thompson. I see no reason why Georgetown basketball can ever be as successful as it was. There's no evidence of that. I think they need a superstar. Why would a superstar go there?"

Recommended reading.

Esherick's Tenure In Review 3/17/04

Craig EsherickCraig Esherick, 47, was a four year letterman from 1974 through 1978 and a assistant coach from 1981 through 1999. He was named the team's 16th head basketball coach on Jan. 8, 1999 upon the sudden resignation of John Thompson. In Esherick's six years at the helm the Hoyas were 103-74 (.582) with one NCAA and three NIT appearances; however, the Hoyas' conference mark was only 41-53 (.436), with a 10-48 (.172) record against teams in the RPI top 50.

Despite the Hoyas' up and down ways in recent years, Esherick enjoyed significant University support for his attention to academics and maintaining the integrity of the University within recruiting. These ties were strained during a nine game losing streak to end the 2003-04 season, causing considerable frustration from fans and alumni on his performance. The Hoyas' fortunes hit a wall following a 65-58 loss to a depleted St. John's squad that failed to win another Big East game all season. The losing streak, which concluded in the Big East tournament loss to Boston College, led the Hoyas to its first season without a post-season invitation since the 1973-74 season, when Esherick was still a recruit at Silver Spring's Springbrook HS.

Esherick further alienated many Hoya fans in a defiant Associated Press article on the eve of the season finale to Virginia Tech, proclaiming "I ain't going anywhere. I may be here for another 30 years. And you can quote me on that." Georgetown lost the game, 60-55.

In the days surrounding the Big East tournament, Esherick was promoting the impact of four incoming recruits to improve the Hoyas' fortunes, telling the Washington Times that "I think every profession but the coaching profession is permitted to have a bad year. I certainly resent the heck out of it as a coach. But I'm not going to sit up here and say we had a great year — we didn't."

Candidates? Not So Fast... 3/17/04

Georgetown has promised a national search following the change. Fans and media may suggest any number of well-known and high-dollar candidates, but the search will be ultimately be constrained by serious University budget issues and ongoing losses in the men's basketball program approaching $1 million, according to the Associated Press article above.

Due to ongoing losses in the Medical Center, Georgetown faces a $35.5 million deficit in 2004, reported The HOYA. The University's debt service was placed on a an industry "credit watch" list for the second time in in a year in January, and numerous construction projects now cannot start without all cash in hand. The overall GU financial situation and the impact of any buyout of Coach Esherick's contract may simply force high-dollar candidates off the list.

Further complicating the matter is perception--Georgetown must not only seek a coach it can afford and that will be committed to the school's values, but a hire which will communicate that the University aims to be a competitive Big East program following the "super-sizing" of the Big East to a 16-team league in 2005. A 2003 study of the incoming Big East teams suggests Georgetown is not keeping up among the top of the anticipated 16 team alignment.

"What Georgetown University needs to determine is whether the school is committed to having Georgetown basketball continue in the tradition Thompson built," writes Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon. "I wonder if Esherick had the kind of support that reflects such a commitment."

An interesting statistic: None of the previous 16 head coaches of the program came to Georgetown with any prior head coaching experience at the college level.

Esherick Dismissed As Head Coach Updated 3/17/04 6:30 am

Craig Esherick (B'78, L'82) was fired as head basketball coach at Georgetown University late Tuesday night.

"After careful deliberation I have decided that it is time to make a change in leadership in our men's basketball program," said Georgetown president Jack DeGioia (C'79) in a media statement.

"I certainly did not see it coming," Esherick told the Washington Post, having received a public show of support from DeGioia just 11 days ago. According to the Post, Esherick was asked to fly home from a Midwestern recruiting trip to meet with DeGioia and athletic director Joseph Lang that evening.

Word of the change began to leak among students in the hour before DeGioia's statement was formally released to the press at 11:00 Tuesday night.

Public announcements on coaches are exceedingly rare at Georgetown. No coach has been publicly dismissed in such a manner dating back to 1972, when basketball coach Jack Magee was relieved of his duties as head coach following a 3-23 season.

"I am dedicated to sustaining that tradition of excellence which means a great deal to our university community and the many fans of Georgetown basketball," DeGioia said. "We are deeply committed to the future success of men's basketball as measured by maintaining national competitiveness with the leading programs in the Big East and the country."

Statement by Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia

  • Associated Press
  • ESPN.com
  • The HOYA
  • Sports Network
  • Sports Ticker
  • Washington Post
  • Washington Post (2)
  • Washington Times
    		•
     
    Bulletin: Esherick Out As Head Coach 3/16/04 11:30 pm

    Statement by Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia

    Craig Esherick (B'78, L'82) was fired as head basketball coach at Georgetown University this evening.

    "After careful deliberation I have decided that it is time to make a change in leadership in our men's basketball program, said University president Jack DeGioia (C'79) in a statement to the Associated Press.

    "I am dedicated to sustaining that tradition of excellence which means a great deal to our university community and the many fans of Georgetown basketball," DeGioia said. "We are deeply committed to the future success of men's basketball as measured by maintaining national competitiveness with the leading programs in the Big East and the country."

    Esherick, 47, was a four year letterman from 1974 through 1978 and a assistant coach from 1981 through 1999. He was named the school's 16th head men's basketball coach on Jan. 8, 1999 upon the sudden resignation of John Thompson. In his six years at the helm the Hoyas were 103-74 (.582) with one NCAA and three NIT bids; however, the Hoyas' conference mark only 41-53 (.436) in league play, with a 10-48 (.172) record against teams in the RPI top 50.

    Despite the Hoyas' up and down ways in recent years, Esherick enjoyed significant University support for his attention to academics and maintaining the integrity of the University within recruiting. Georgetown's nine game losing streak to end the 2003-04 season caused considerable frustration from fans and alumni on his performance, particularly following a 65-58 loss to a depleted St. John's squad that failed to win another Big East game all season. The losing streak, which concluded in the Big East tournament loss to Boston College, led the Hoyas to its first season without a post-season invitation since the 1973-74 season, when Esherick was a recruit at Springbrook HS.

    Esherick alienated many Hoya fans in a defiant Associated Press article on the eve of the season finale to Virginia Tech, proclaiming "I ain't going anywhere. I may be here for another 30 years. And you can quote me on that." Georgetown lost the game, 60-55.

    Public decisions on coaches are exceedingly rare at Georgetown. No coach has been publicly dismissed in such a fashion since for as many as 32 years, when Jack Magee was relieved of his duties as head coach following a 3-23 season.

    DeGioia promised a national search following the change. There has been no word on the status of assistant coaches Chuck Driesell, Jaren Jackson (B'89) and coordinators Mike Riley (C'78) and Ed Spriggs (C'82).

    At this hour (Tuesday night), the only web links reference the AP story above. There has been no announcement on GUHoyas.com at this time.

    Many more links follow Wednesday morning.

    Boston College 68, Georgetown 57 3/12/04

    The recap of the Boston College game was not posted to the site. Please see The HOYA for a game recap.

    Virginia Tech 60, Georgetown 55 3/6/04

    "I told the kids at the 10-minute mark, 'Guys, you keep playing hard, you'll turn this into a home game. When [the fans] started going, 'Let's go, Hokies,'...it was like Cassell [Coliseum] North." --Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg, in the Roanoke Times

    "We know they're not the Georgetown of the past. They work hard, but they go through stretches where they are just not Georgetown." --Bryant Matthews, in the Washington Times

    Failing to score in the final 4:42 of Saturday's 60-55 against Virginia Tech, the 11,286 who filed out of MCI Center saw another predictable fold by a team whose season has cast a shadow of gloom over the Georgetown program and its fan base.

    The first half opened with promise for the Hoyas, hoping to end a seven game losing streak. The Hokies got into early foul trouble and GU held a 24-17 lead with 6:59 to play in the half. Despite shooting 50% from the field and holding its opponents to 34% shooting (23% from three point range), the Hoyas missed a number of early opportunities and led by only three at the half, 32-29.

    VT entered the second half and exploited Georgetown's weak inside game, scoring on a number of uncontested dunks and layups to take the lead 40-38 before what a vocal Hokie road fan base. Down 43-40, a Matt Causey three was whistled off by the referees, answered by a Bryant Matthews three, 46-40, then matched by a Brandon Bowman three, 46-43. A Gerald Riley jumper got the Hoyas back to three at 51-48 with 5:39 to play, and the Hoya defense then forced a 45 second shot clock violation. A Riley three and a pair of Courtland Freeman free throws gave the G-men a two point lead, 55-53, with 4:42 to play.

    Much as it has done for the past three years, the end of the game took its toll on the starters, who averaged 35 minutes a game. The defense forced a VT miss, but Riley missed a jumper. The defense held again with 3:30 to play, but riley missed a jumper and the Hoyas picked up a foul. The Hokies missed the free throw, but Brandon Bowman tumbled to the floor off the rebound, traveling. On the ensuing play, VT's Bryant Matthews hit a three pointer, 56-55, with 2:14 to play.

    On the Hoyas' next series, Courtland Freeman was tapped inside but missed his shot, and the Gobblers increased the lead to 58-55 on a Matthews tip-in. Georgetown's final two possessions ended in turnovers.

    A recap of the final seven possessions: miss, miss, turnover, miss, miss, turnover, turnover.

    For the game the Hoyas shot 48% from the field but gave up 12 second half turnovers. The real story of the game was GU's transparent defense inside, allowing Matthews 26 points, many of them on second chance points, thanks to a 10-3 VT edge on offensive rebounds.

    The performance of Georgetown's three seniors was emblematic of much of its collective senior year: Gerald Riley was 5-9 (11 points) but missed his last three shots. Courtland Freeman missed six of eight inside shots and collected only two rebounds. Omari Faulkner got a minute of playing time and picked up a rebound and a foul.

    The bench took one field goal attempt and contributed no points.

    The following marks were set following the game:

    • Longest losing streak (eight) since 1971-72.
    • First regular season below .500 since 1972-73.
    • Fewest Big East wins in its 25 years in the league.
    • Seven straight games under sixty points, last seen in 1948-49.
    • First season under 35 rebounds a game since 1980-81.
    • 14 losses in its last 17 games.
    • Only one win (Rutgers) against a team ranked higher in the RPI.
    • Only two wins (Davidson, Rutgers) against teams with a winning record.

    Here's the Georgetown half of the box score.

              MIN   2FG  3FG   FT  REB  A   PF  PTS
Starters:
Cook      35   2-4   2-3   0-0   4   0   2   10
Bowman    38   5-7   3-5   0-0   8   1   3   19
Freeman   31   2-8   0-0   4-6   2   0   4    8
Owens     36   3-4   0-2   1-3   6   3   2    7
Riley     36   3-6   1-3   2-2   2   2   1   11
Reserves:
Faulkner   1   0-0   0-0   0-0   1   0   1    0
Causey    14   0-0   0-1   0-1   1   4   1    0
Kilk.-Diaw 9   0-0   0-0   0-0   1   0   2    0
DNP: Izzo, Beal, Dizdarevic  
TOTALS   200 15-29  6-14  7-12  25  10  16   55

    Post-game links follow below.

    Full Text Of DeGioia Remarks 3/5/04

    The following text was provided by the Hoya Hoop Club.

    "As someone who has a 29-year affiliation with Georgetown University and its athletic department, I take special pride in our tradition of athletic and academic excellence. I am very committed to continuing our tradition, especially in men’s basketball, by fielding competitive teams, ensuring that our students get the very best educations, and setting a standard for integrity. I believe that this season’s men’s basketball team, and our new class of recruits, hold a great deal of promise. I have confidence that Craig Esherick—who helped to build our tradition of excellence in men’s basketball—is the right person to strengthen and lead our program.”

    Esherick: "I Ain't Going Anywhere" 3/5/04

    An angry Craig Esherick lashed out at critics Friday night on the eve of the Virginia Tech game.

    "I ain't going anywhere. I may be here for another 30 years. And you can quote me on that," Esherick told the Associated Press.

    The Washington Times reported Friday that despite general discontent over the Hoyas 2003-04 slide, Georgetown University president Jack DeGioia (C'79) has rebuffed public efforts to force his hand on Esherick's six year tenure as head coach.

    Notre Dame 61, Georgetown 48 3/4/04

    "I've seen them play since way back when,
    And they've always had the grit;
    I've seen 'em lose and I've seen 'em win
    But I've never seen 'em quit."

    These words of hope, from a famous poem at Texas A&M University titled "The Last Corps Trip" also epitomized many Georgetown Hoyas teams of old. But in the last two games, the smell of quit seems to be hanging around this team.

    After a lifeless, uninspired effort against Seton Hall, the Hoyas turned in a carbon copy of Saturday's game, failing to reach 50 points for the second straight game, a tiring 61-48 loss to Notre Dame. The Hoyas finish a perfect 0-4 in nationally televised games in 2003-04, with losses to Duke, Temple, Syracuse, and Notre Dame, and have dropped 13 of its last 17 by an average margin of 12.9 points per game.

    Like the Seton Hall game of last week, both teams started out which a whimper, combining to miss of 19 of their combined 22 shots in the first five minutes of play. A 10-2 run midway in the first half was all ND needed, as the Hoyas shot 7 for 32 in the half and trailed, 30-16. The only basket of note was Gerald Riley's jumper with 7:55 in the half, ending a two game streak of 17 consecutive missed shots, but he went on to miss five of his next seven for a two game total of 3-24 (that's 1 of 15 from two point range). Thanks to numerous ND misses, the Hoyas actually took in a season high 27 first half rebounds, but very few led to points.

    The second half also followed the Seton Hall pattern--weak defense, lack of concentration (a missed dunk here, missed layups there, etc.) and very little enthusiasm despite a ND lead of 10-15 points most of the half. Any semblance of a run would have kept ND honest, but no such run was there. That the coaching staff waited until 30 seconds in the game to substitute the starters for bench players like Ken Izzo was about 19 minutes and thirty seconds late--the starters should have sat while the reserves showed what they are capable of. (And as for Sead Dizdarevic, well, keep the faith.)

    Brandon Bowman scored 17 points and 15 rebounds, and outside of Bowman and the play of Matt Causey, the rest of the team simply did not come to play. Guards Ashanti Cook and Gerald Riley were a disturbing 7 of 31 (.226), while center Courtland Freeman missed seven of his nine shots around the basket. Darrel Owens continued his vanishing act from the stat book, with three missed shots and no field goals in 18 minutes. Georgetown shot 5-14 (35%) from three point range. It shot a season low 26% (13-50) from two point range.

    A similar effort Saturday will end the season with the ignominy of the school's second losing season since 1974 and a long week for 1,200 Hoyas fans with tickets already in hand to the Big East tournament. A win will still give the Hoyas a chance for redemption on the Garden stage, and with a 22-2 all-time record in first round Big East games, maintains a fighting chance.

    In the meantime, here's the Georgetown half of a bad box score.

              MIN   2FG  3FG   FT  REB  A   PF  PTS
Starters:
Cook       35  3-13  1-5  0-0   6   1   0    9
Riley      35   1-8  2-5  2-2   6   1   2   10
Owens      18   0-3  0-0  0-0   3   1   0    0
Bowman     39  4-11  2-4  3-5  15   1   4   17
Freeman    25   2-9  0-0  2-3   3   1   0    6
Reserves:
Faulkner    1   0-0  0-0  0-0   0   0   0    0
Izzo        1   0-0  0-0  0-0   1   1   0    0
Reed        7   1-1  0-0  0-0   2   1   0    2
Causey     25   1-4  0-0  0-0   6   2   4    2
Beal        1   0-0  0-0  0-0   0   0   0    0
Kilk.-Diaw 13   1-1  0-0  0-0   2   0   1    2
DNP: Dizdarevic
TOTALS    200 13-50 5-14 7-10 12-44   9  11   48

    Post-game links follow below.

    Kanach To Randolph-Macon 3/4/04

    The Hanover (VA) Herald-Progress is reporting that Georgetown senior associate athletic director Denis Kanach will be named athletic director at Randolph-Macon College at a Thursday press conference. An additional article is found in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

    A 1969 graduate of Manhattan College, Kanach has served at Georgetown for 30 years in various roles including associate track and field coach, the director of the Yates Field House, and the chief operating officer of the athletic department. He has been a key contact in navigating the labyrinth of University and District red tape to move the boathouse and Multi-Sport facility projects forward, and was directly involved with the football program's move to the Patriot League in 2001.

    "It is important to understand the competitiveness of an athletic program within the context of the educational mission of the college," said Kanach in a R-MC release. "It is my hope to be able to challenge our students outside the classroom, the same way they are challenged inside the classroom and to be as good as they can be."

    Seton Hall 75, Georgetown 48 3/1/04

    "I don't know what it is, but it's not there. We just don't have it."
    -Gerald Riley in the Washington Times

    "It was just another day at the office."
    --Marcus Toney-El, in the Newark Star Ledger

    With a run of first half offensive futility unmatched in the Big East era, and a second half of defense little better, Georgetown dropped its sixth straight game Saturday with little resistance, 75-48. A starting five which has increasingly been knocked to the floor late in close games was down for the count early and never got up.

    Neither team scored for the first 2:51 of the game, but that was as close as the Hoyas would be all evening. The Pirates held the Hoyas scoreless for over 12 minutes in the half, as the Pirates took an 18-5 lead and added 11 of the next 15, 29-9. Georgetown missed 17 of its first 18 shots.

    At halftime, Georgetown posted its lowest halftime score, 30-14, in the Big East era, only three points removed from the all-time conference record of 11. It was the fewest points scored in a first half since a 37-36 loss to St. Joseph's in 1979 in the pre-shot clock era. Georgetown's 3 for 22 shooting defies description--Brandon Bowman accounted for 3 for 8 shooting, the rest of the team was 0 for 14.

    The Hoyas shot better in the second, but by this time their defense had left them slow-footed and ripe for the picking, Seton Hall Andre Barrett was the fourth guard in as many games to torch Ashanti Cook and the Georgetown guard defenses, hitting eight straight shots en route to a 25 point game for the senior. Georgetown never closed within 12 and was simply not a factor.

    Brandon Bowman led the team with 20 points, including six of the team's combined 10 two point field goals. Gerald Riley will get his share of catcalls for turning in a statistic without peer in Georgetown shooting annals: 0 for 11 from the field. But bear this in mind--if Riley had shot 11-11, the Hoyas would still have been five points short, thanks to a defense allowed Seton Hall 18 points off turnovers and 63% shooting in the second half. Outside of Bowman's 20, no other Georgetown player had more than two field goals. Center Courtland Freeman had as many turnovers as rebounds (three), while Darrel Owens turned in only five points. Owens scored in double figures in nine of his first 11 games; in his last eight, he is averaging less than two field goals a game.

    Bench scoring was, again, negligible: six points.

    It was the fifth consecutive game Georgetown has scored 60 or fewer points, and its lowest score against a Big East opponent since a 40 point effort against the Hall in the 2001 conference tournament.

    Coaches can exhort, fans can cheer them on, but in the end, the players have to produce. Whatever strength and pride the 2003-04 Hoyas have left in them must be expended this week, or the season ends with it.

    The Georgetown half of the full box score follows below.

              MIN   2FG  3FG   FT  REB  A   PF  PTS
Starters:
Cook       29   1-3   0-1  2-2   3   1   5    4
Riley      37   0-7   0-4  8-9   2   1   2    8
Owens      25   1-2   1-4  0-0   4   0   2    5
Bowman     39  6-14   1-3  5-7  11   0   4   20
Freeman    26   1-4   0-0  3-4   3   1   3    5
Reserves:
Faulkner    1   0-0   0-0  0-0   0   0   0    0
Reed       15   0-3   0-0  1-2   1   0   1    1
Causey     17   0-1   1-2  0-0   2   3   3    3
Beal        1   0-0   0-0  0-0   0   0   0    0
Kilk.-Diaw 10   1-1   0-0  0-0   1   0   1    2
DNP: Izzo, Dizdarevic
TOTALS   200  10-35  3-14 19-24 27   6  21   48

    Post-game links follow below.

     

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