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Various news items posted during November 2024.
 
 

Notre Dame 84, Georgetown 63

 11/16/24

In its first appearance on national television this season, Georgetown remains the Not Ready For Prime Time Hoyas.

POST-GAME COVERAGE
With its poorest shooting effort of the young season, Georgetown was routed by Notre Dame, 84-63, before a hopeful crowd of 8,819 at spacious Capital One Arena.

The 21 point defeat, Ed Cooley's fourth loss of 20 points or more in his 35 game tenure at the Hilltop, is the largest margin of defeat allowed by Georgetown to a non-conference opponent since 2016.

There was no magic needed for the Fighting Irish in this one. Georgetown's woes were self-inflicted, and in evidence two minutes into the game.

Early field goals from Drew Fielder and Jordan Burks gave the Hoyas a 4-0 led 59 seconds into the game. The two forwards then combined to go one for eight for the remainder of the game.

They were not alone.

With a visible lack of teamwork on both sides of the court, Georgetown's shooting was an early TKO. The Hoyas missed 15 consecutive shots in an eight minute stretch of the first half, allowing Princeton grad transfer Matt Allocco eight straight points and back to back three pointers to carry a 19-3 run. Allocco scored 15 in the first half as neither Jayden Epps nor anyone else on the Georgetown lineup could adjust to the open looks from Allocco to set the course for this game early.

"We had a whole week to prepare for them. I personally thought we were more prepared. Coach thought we were more prepared. We all did."
--Jayden Epps

Malik Mack ended the run with a three pointer at the 10:16 mark, and a 9-2 Georgetown run brought the Hoyas within four with 6:28 to play. Allocco and Mack traded three pointers over the next minute, 26-22, but the shooting dried up from outside. Georgetown finished 0 for 6 from its backcourt, with its only points down the stretch coming from Thomas Sorber. The Irish ended the half on a 18-7 run and a 15 point lead, 44-29, shooting 65 percent from the field, with seven three pointers and a sizzling 1.46 points per possession.

Georgetown's first half box score was grim: 26 percent from the field, three of 18 from outside. Beyond Sorber's 12 points inside, the remainder of the team shot 22 percent (7-31) and scored on just 13 of 30 possessions.

After his hot start, Allocco was relatively quiet after halftime, but it opened the door for ND guard Markus Burton. Following a one for five start in the first half, Burton steadied the Irish early in the second half after a 11-4 Georgetown run closed to 50-40 at the 17:25 mark. Notre Dame extended the lead with a 12-3 run over the next six minutes, a run more of Georgetown's doing than is own. The Hoyas missed 11 of its next 12 shots as the Irish increased the lead to 19 midway in the half, 62-43, then scored seven straight behind the shooting of Braeden Shrewsberry and Tae Davis to lead by 24, 69-45 as Ed Cooley's second time out in less than two minutes was of no effect. "The rout is on," said announcer John Fanta, who has added NBC/Peacock games to his existing Fox schedule.

A four point play from Mack out of the time out was a welcome if insufficient development, 69-49, as Notre Dame matched the Hoyas over the next three minutes, 76-54, with the game out of reach. Georgetown took only one jump shot in the final six minutes, relying on inefficient three point attempts and layups inside to narrow a margin that never closed within 18.

"Both year two coaches, both year two in the programs. Systematically, I thought their program was ahead of ours."
--Ed Cooley

Despite shooting just two for nine from three point range, Notre Dame was largely unchallenged inside the arc during the second half (13 for 19) and finished the game shooting 59 percent overall.

Georgetown's futility starts in its shot selection: 26 of 32 shots after halftime came from just three players: Malik Mack, Jayden Epps, and Micah Peavy, shooting a combined nine for 22 and accounting for half the total minutes played by the entire team. Thomas Sorber, who led the Hoyas in the first half, got just two shots after halftime, and none in the final 8:17, owing to foul trouble. Overall, the Hoyas shot 31 percent for the game, were outrebounded 42-33, and allowed the Fighting Irish 20 assists on 32 field goals.

"It's just one game," said Epps. "We'll bounce back."

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         36   1-7   4-8   2-3   6   5  3   16  
Epps         36   2-8   3-9   0-0   0   2  1   13
Peavy        26   4-7   0-2   0-0   2   0  4    8
Burks        18   2-5   0-3   1-1   4   1  1    5
Fielder      13   1-1   0-2   0-0   1   0  1    2 
Reserves:
Cu. Williams 14   0-1   0-0   2-2   5   2  1    2
McKenna       9   0-0   1-2   0-0   2   0  1    3
Ca. Williams  5   0-1   0-1   0-0   0   0  0    0
Montgomery    1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0  0    0    
Halaifonua   14   1-1   0-2   0-0   3   0  1    2
Sorber       23   3-7   0-2   6-8   4   4  3   12
Mulready      5   0-0   0-1   0-2   0   1  0    0
Team Rebounds                       6              
DNP: Fort, Asadallah, Moses, Van Raaphorst, Diouf  
TOTALS      200  14-38  8-32 11-16 33  15 16   63

 

Game Highlights: Not Many

 11/17/24


 

Georgetown's Return To NBC

 11/12/24

Saturday's game versus Notre Dame marks the first nationally broadcast men's college basketball game for NBC Sports in 26 years.

The network, which held the NCAA tournament rights from 1969 through 1981, broadcast between 30-40 games each year through the 1980s, led by announcers such as Dick Enberg, Al McGuire, Marv Albert, Len Berman, and Bob Costas. Georgetown was seen on nine NBC national telecasts between 1981 and 1986.

The rise of ESPN and the consolidation by CBS of contracts with the Big East and other conferences sharply reduced NBC's supply of games, and by the early 1990s its games were largely constrained to a handful of games featuring Notre Dame, then an independent, and little else. By 1998, NBC broadcast just two games that season, a Feb. 21 game at MCI Center between Boston College and Georgetown and Feb. 28 game between Notre Dame and Providence.

NBC dropped college basketball after that season, and revives it this week as part of the upcoming Big East contract where it will broadcast 30 games in 2024-25 and 60 games annually on its streaming service, Peacock. Two of these games, Saturday's game with ND and the Providence vs Connecticut game on January 5 will be broadcast on NBC, along with five Big Ten games (three women's, two men's) later this season.

Peacock is a subscription-only streaming service starting at $7.99 per month, with discounts available for military and student users. Georgetown's games on the Peacock platform in 2024-25 are as follows:

01/14: at St. John's
02/23: at Creighton
03/01: MARQUETTE
03/04: VILLANOVA

Georgetown's first home game naionally broadcast on NBC was on January 31, 1982, three weeks ahead of its upset of #4 Missouri at McDonough Gymnasium, also on NBC. Here's the broadcast from the Hoyas' 63-46 win over St. John's before a crowd of 12,934 at Capital Centre:



 

Georgetown 69, Fairfield 57

 11/9/24

A 25 point, nine rebound effort from Thomas Sorber led Georgetown a 69-57 win over Fairfield at Capital One Arena.

Sorber is the first Georgetown freshman with 20+ points in each of his first two games since Othella Harrington did it in games versus St. Leo (20) and Southern-New Orleans (23) in 1992.

POST-GAME COVERAGE
Much like Georgetown's prior opponent in Lehigh, Fairfield arrived to Washington after a bad opening loss, a 96-58 rout at Rhode Island which saw the Stags shoot four for 29 from three point range and one of 16 by halftime of that game. And, like Lehigh, Fairfield turned those numbers around quickly, only to see it want after halftime.

Fairfield guard Braden Sparks opened the scoring with a three 31 seconds into the game. By the first media time out, the Stags had collected three three pointers and a 13-5 lead. Two more from outside extended its lead to 19-11. Georgetown tightened its perimeter defense to claw its way back to a lead, but turnovers and poor outside shooting of its own (one for seven from three to start) lengthened the comeback.

Back to back baskets from Micah Peavy and a layup for Julius Halaifonua brought GU its first lead of the game with 6:30 to halftime, 27-25. A pair of Fairfield threes and a layup tied the score at 33 with 32 seconds remaining before Jayden Epps took advantage of lost defensive coverage on the last possession to hit a three as the half expired, 36-33.

The second half belonged to Sorber and a timely one at that, as GU's backcourt struggled after halftime. Malik Mack and Micah Peavy combined for 15 points in the first half but were a combined zero for seven after it. Both teams struggled in transition after halftime, combining for 11 field goals and 14 turnovers over the first ten minutes of the second half. A better story was found inside, where Sorber scored eight of the Hoyas first 13 points of the half and helped the Hoyas to a 49-41 lead midway in the second. The Stags missed 10 consecutive attempts but the Hoyas were little better, missing seven of eight, maintaining a lead but not pulling away.

A steal and dunk by Jordan Burks put the Hoyas up nine at the six minute mark, 56-47, followed by an Epps drive 36 second later. A Sorber three at the 4:15 gave the Hoyas its first double digit lead of the game, and he scored the next nine points of the game to put it out of reach.

Sorber and Epps combined for 26 of the Hoyas' 33 points after halftime, with the remainder of the team shooting three for 12. The story, however, was defense. The Hoyas forced Fairfield to shoot just 27 percent after halftime, one of nine from three point range and without a basket for the final thee minutes of the game. Georgetown held a net +11 (15-4) in points off turnovers and a +12 (34-22) in points in the paint.

Sorber was a big reason why.

"Thomas is one of the best big men in the country as a freshman, in my opinion," said Jayden Epps. "I don't think anybody can guard him down there, especially when he does what he's supposed to do. He's unselfish and he'll pass it out if they double. So I always tell Coach [Cooley] to look down there and try to get him established to just open up the rest of the game."

"I thought once we settled in that our defense in the second half was elite," said head coach Ed Cooley in post-game remarks. "I thought our guys had a different purpose, a different edge and a different physicality."

For its part, "I thought we shot the ball fairly well and we took some positive steps defensively, but what I'm most proud of is the way that we fought," said Fairfield coach Chris Casey. "Of course, I'm disappointed that we lost, but I am happy with some of the progress that we made today, and now we need to use that as a springboard into the next [game] on Tuesday."

The teams combined for 35 turnovers, 19 in the second half.

The meeting between the schools was the first since 2006, when Ed Cooley was a first year coach at Fairfield.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         33   2-6   1-3   0-0   5  4   0    7
Epps         32   2-4   1-4   5-6   1  4   2   12
Peavy        36   1-7   2-4   0-1   5  5   2    8
Burks        21   2-2   0-1   0-0   5  0   5    4 
Sorber       31  10-14  1-2   2-3   9  1   1   25
Reserves:
Ca. Williams  6   0-0   0-1   0-0   1  0   1    0
McKenna      11   1-1   0-1   0-0   5  0   2    2
Cu. Williams  6   1-1   0-0   0-0   1  0   0    2
Halaifonua   15   1-1   1-3   0-0   4  1   1    5
Mulready     10   1-1   0-1   2-2   0  0   1    4
Team Rebounds                       3              
DNP: Fort, Fielder, Montgomery, Asadallah, Moses,
Van Raaphorst, Diouf  
TOTALS      200  21-37 6-20  9-12  39  15  15  69

 

1983-84 Team Honored At Reception

11/9/24

Members of the 1983-84 national championship team were recognized at a dinner Friday evening at the Thompson Athletic Center.

Returning to campus were Fred Brown (C'84), Gene Smith (C'84), Reggie Williams (C'87), Bill Martin (C'85), Michael Graham and Victor Morris, along with former assistant Craig Esherick (B'78, L'82) and manager David Green (C'85, L'88). The event also formally dedicated the "David & Greaten Welch Gym" within the practice facility, per a naming gift from the former Ambassador and his wife.

The guests will also be recognized during halftime of Saturday's game versus Fairfield.



 

Georgetown 85, Lehigh 77

11/6/24

A combined 40 points from newcomers Micah Peavy and Thomas Sorber steered the Georgetown Hoyas to a 85-77 win over Lehigh in the season opener Wednesday at McDonough Gymnasium.

POST-GAME COVERAGE
Expectations were low in some quarters for Lehigh (0-2), who shot 2 for 17 from three point range following its 90-46 loss to Northwestern on Monday. Such thoughts were soon discarded as the Engineers shot five for five from outside over the first seven minutes of the first half, building an early 32-24 lead.

Guards Cam Gillus and Kevin Higgins combined for 28 first half points as Lehigh withheld a pair of Georgetown runs to lead 39-34 entering the final four minutes of the first half, whereupon Micah Peavy scored the last eight of a 10-0 run to give the Hoyas a 44-39 lead at the break.

Peavy scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half, one where Lehigh missed six of its final seven from there to end the half, but held the Hoyas to just two for nine from outside.

The game stayed close through much of the second half. Back to back baskets from Sorber pushed the Georgetown lead to 50-42 thee minutes into the second half, but the Engineers scored on three consecutive layups and a free throw to close to 50-49 with 14:37 remaining.

Following a quiet first half of his own, Jayden Epps scored the next ten points as Georgetown regained the lead a the 11:24 mark, 58-54, but Lehigh remained a worthy opponent. Following an exchange of free throws at the 6:24 mark, Georgetown's lead was only three, 70-67, before Sorber led the Hoyas on an 11-1 run to put the game out of reach, 81-68, with 1:23 remaining.

Georgetown shot only 37 percent from the field after halftime but picked up 13 second chance points, many from Sorber's defensive intensity. Lehigh stayed close with just five turnovers after halftime, but its shooting failed late, missing eight of its final 10 attempts in an otherwise solid effort, with 10 threes on the evening.

Four players accounted for 72 of Georgetown's 85 points, and 37 of its 41 points after the break. Georgetown fared poorly from the three point line, shooting 3 for 13 after the break and 5 for 22 overall.

Lehigh was led with a combined 44 points from Gillus and Higgins.

Here's the Georgetown half of the box score:


            MIN   2FG   3FG   FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:    
Mack         34   6-10  1-6   0-0   3  5   2   15
Epps         33   3-5   3-6   2-4   1  3   3   17
Peavy        32   8-10  0-3   4-4   4  2   3   20
Fielder      13   2-4   0-1   0-0   6  0   1    4  
Sorber       29   5-11  0-2  10-13 13  0   2   20
Reserves:
Ca. Williams  6   0-0   0-0   0-0   1  0   1    0
Cu. Williams 12   1-1   0-2   0-0   3  0   2    2
Burks        28   1-1   0-1   0-0   7  1   2    2   
Halaifonua   10   0-0   1-1   2-2   2  1   1    5
Mulready      2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0  0   0    0
Team Rebounds                       2              
DNP: Fort, McKenna, Montgomery, Asadallah, Moses,
Van Raaphorst, Diouf  
TOTALS      200 26-42  5-22  18-23 42  12  17  85

 

Just Like Old Times

11/6/24

Wednesday's game at McDonough Gymnasium fell short of a sellout at its downsized capacity of 2,200, but students got a taste of what the building was like a generation ago, when over 4,000 in the building made it a formidable home court advantage.

Attendance was announced at 2,008, with open seating appearing below the foul lines. The game was one of two home games moved on campus this season, with a Nov. 26 game versus Wagner being the other.

A total of 733 attended the opener of the doubleheader as the Georgetown women's team defeated a non-NCAA team, Virginia University of Lynchburg, 88-31, in Georgetown's first men's/women's doubleheader since 2004. It was the first game for the Dragons since February 2023, as that school did not field a team last season.



 

HOYA Basketball Preview

11/4/24

Continuing a tradition dating to the 1958-59 season, special coverage of the men's basketball season opener can be found in the latest issue of The HOYA.

PREVIEW COVERAGE
Regular and timely coverage of the Hoyas has proven difficult in the post-COVID world for the newspaper, as some athletic events appearing on its web site do not arrive until as many as 10 days after they were held.

The season preview does not look favorably upon the Hoyas' 2024-25 non-conference schedule.

"As for the schedule, Georgetown's nonconference slate is rather underwhelming," it writes. "The Hoyas will open their season Nov. 6 with a matchup against Lehigh University. In an exciting and unexpected turn of events, both that game and the Nov. 26 game against Wagner College will be played on campus at McDonough Arena. Georgetown will also face University of Notre Dame again after defeating them in overtime last season. They end their nonconference schedule with their Big 12-Big East Battle matchup against West Virginia University Dec. 6, then travel to Syracuse to take on the rival Orange Dec. 14, two solid tests before Big East play."

Georgetown is ninth in its Big East men's pre-season power ranking, third for the women's team.

 

Whatever Happened To...

11/4/24

As many as 18 former players from Georgetown are still active in college basketball, and some have been frequent guests in the transfer portal. Where are they now?

  • Denver Anglin (2022-23): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 1.4 ppg. Transferred to Southern Methodist for the 2023-24 season, but was a medical redshirt. Transferred to Rice for the 2024-25 season.
  • D'Ante Bass (2022-23): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 0.3 ppg. Transferred to Alabama State for the 2023-24 season, but was a medical redshirt last season.
  • Tyler Beard (2021-22): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 2.9 ppg. Transferred to Pacific for the 2022-23 season, averaged 6.8 ppg. Transferred to Cal State-Northridge for the 2024-25 season.
  • T.J. Berger (2020-21): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 1.3 ppg. Transferred to San Diego for the 2021-22 season, averaged 3.1 ppg. Transferred to Lafayette for the 2022-23 season, averaged 7.7 points per game, was a medical redshirt last season but has returned to Lafayette as a senior.
  • Jalin Billingsley (2021-22): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 2.1 ppg. Transferred to Eastern Michigan for the 2022-23 season, averaging 6.8 ppg through two seasons.
  • Wayne Bristol (C'24) (2022-24): A transfer from Howard, he played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 3.4 ppg. Exercising a graduate transfer option at Hampton for the 2024-25 season.
  • Rowan Brumbaugh (2023-24): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 8.3 ppg. Transferred to Tulane for 2024-25 season.
  • Kobe Clark (2020-22): Played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 0.8 ppg. Transferred to Southeast Missouri State for 2022-23 season, averaging 6.2 ppg through two seasons.
  • Supreme Cook (2023-24): A transfer from Fairfield, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 10.5 ppg. Transferred to Oregon for 2024-25 season but is presently injured.
  • Bradley Ezewiro (2022-23): A transfer from LSU, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 4.3 ppg. Transferred to Saint Louis for 2023-24 season, averaged 12.0 ppg. Transferred to Alabama-Birmingham for the 2024-25 season.
  • Dante Harris (2020-22): Played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 10.0 ppg. Transferred to Virginia and sat out the 2022-23 season. Averaged 2.5 ppg in 2023-24, entered the transfer portal but later returned to Virginia. Reclassified as a walk-on in 2024-25 but is not on the current roster.
  • Collin Holloway (2020-22): Played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 7.2 ppg. Transferred to Tulane for 2022-23 season, averaged 9.6 ppg over two seasons. Transferred to Samford for the 2024-25 season.
  • Brandon Murray (2022-23): A transfer from LSU, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 13.7 ppg. Transferred to Mississippi for 2023-24 season, averaged 4.3 ppg. Transferred to McNeese State for the 2024-25 season.
  • Ryan Mutombo (C'24) (2022-24): Played three seasons at Georgetown, averaged 3.2 ppg. Exercising a graduate transfer option at Georgia Tech for the 2024-25 season, pursuing a master's degree in management.
  • Jordan Riley (2021-23): Played two seasons at Georgetown, averaged 4.2 ppg. Transferred to Temple for 2023-24 season, averaged 11.9 ppg over two seasons. Transferred to East Carolina for the 2024-25 season.
  • Jamari Sibley (2020-21): Played one season at Georgetown, averaged 1.2 ppg. Transferred to Texas-El Paso for the 2021-22 season, averaged 9.6 ppg. Transferred to Southern Utah in 2022-23, averaging 4.5 ppg through two seasons.
  • Primo Spears (2022-23): A transfer from Duquesne, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 16.0 ppg. Transferred to Florida State for 2023-24 season, averaged 10.6 ppg. Transferred to Texas-San Antonio for the 2024-25 season.
  • Dontrez Styles (2023-24): A transfer from North Carolina, he played one season at Georgetown, averaged 12.8 ppg. Transferred to North Carolina State for the 2024-25 season.