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Georgetown Basketball: 2002-03 News Archive

(Updated February 6, 2003)


Syracuse 88, Georgetown 80 2/4/03

"Make no mistake that the Hoyas played hard, all right. They always have and they probably always will. But they just don't have the weaponry they once had."-Bud Poliquin, Syracuse Post-Standard

No late game collapse. No last shot. No overtime.

To its credit, #21 Syracuse didn't give the Hoyas many chances to make a late run, and while Georgetown gave the Orangemen all it could handle in an 88-80 loss Monday at the Carrier Dome, it fell short in its fourth straight loss, three to ranked opponents. In games against Syracuse, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, Georgetown faced teams with a combined home court of record of 36-0, and played each as tough as they've faced all year. But not enough to change the zero on its road record so far this season.

The Hoyas opened up short-handed when it was announced that center Wesley Wilson was sidelined with back spasms, forcing reserve forward Victor Samnick into a starting spot. Samnick's 12 points and nine rebounds (without a turnover) gave the Hoyas some much needed consistency in the post, but Syracuse established its early lead from the outside. The Orange built a six point halftime lead with five three pointers in the first half against Georgetown's perimeter defense, giving up only two turnovers, and scoring ten points off eight Georgetown turnovers. While Mike Sweetney's 32 point effort was the headline, Syracuse's guard play was the story of the game.

The Hoyas started strong in the second, feeding the ball to Mike Sweetney at every opportunity. Georgetown tied the score at 48 with 15:20 to play. A BIlly Edelin jumper regained the lead for the Orangemen, but the Hoyas fought back. Trailing 55-50, two consecutive three pointers gave georgetown its first and only lead at 56-55, Syracuse's Hakim Warrick scored on three consecutive series to put the lead out of reach, with his team scoring on seven of its next ten shots to lead 69-59 with 8:10 to play.

Georgetown made its last serious run to close to three, 69-63, with 5:48 to play, but Syracuse held on via the free throw line, shooting 23 of 24 in the second half and once going 14 for 14 down the stretch. The Orange's overall free throw mark, 29 for 33, was without peer Monday night, but the Hoyas seemed tired at the line, hitting on just over 50 percent. The ever-steady Sweetney scored on only 10 of 19 free throws. "They outhustled us in the first half, but in the second half we stepped it up," said Sweetney. "But then they started hitting their free throws and we were missing ours."

Georgetown's stats showed signs of improvement and consistency from previous games: 45% shooting, four second half threes, holding and 22 assists, which is a season high. Scoring came almost entirely from the starters, as the increasingly thin Georgetown bench contributed only four points.

But for a team where luck is in short supply, the Hoyas need to regroup once again and salvage its season in February instead of looking back at missed opportunities in January.

Georgetown's half of the box score:


           MIN  2FG  3FG    FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:
Bethel      34  5-14  2-6   0-0   6   9   4   12
Bowman      33   2-8  0-1   1-2   3   1   4    5
Riley       29  5-12  4-8   1-1   5   3   3   15
Sweetney    39 11-18  0-0 10-19  13   4   2   32
Samnick     26  6-11  0-0   0-0   9   1   5   12
Reserves:
Freeman     11   1-2  0-0   0-0   1   1   4    2
Hall        19   1-3  0-1   0-1   0   1   1    2
Owens        8   0-0  0-0   0-0   0   1   3    0
Cook         1   0-1  0-1   0-0   1   1   0    0
DNP: Faulkner, Ross, Hillier, Wilson 
TOTALS     200 31-69 6-17 12-23  38  22  26   80

Post-game reports:

Overtime Blues 2/1/03

For a lot of Georgetown fans, the letters "OT" spell "loss".

More than any other major college program, Georgetown struggles in overtime games, and not just in recent years, either. At 1-2 in extended play this season, the Hoyas are 6-19 in overtime games since 1989, 4-13 on the road. 


1989-90 L  87-89(OT)  at Syracuse
1990-91 W  71-62(OT)     Villanova
1991-92 L  66-76(OT)  vs Virginia (at Greensboro, NC)
1991-92 L  86-88(2OT) at Boston College
1991-92 L  71-73(OT)  at Seton Hall
1992-93 L  58-66(OT)     Providence
1993-94 L  83-84(OT)     Maryland 
1993-94 L  75-76(OT)     Villanova
1993-94 L  67-73(OT)  at Providence
1993-94 W  76-71(OT)  vs Seton Hall (Big East)
1994-95 W  83-80(OT)  vs Memphis (at Toronto, ON)
1995-96 W  83-80(OT)  at West Virginia
1996-97 L  65-68(OT)  at Miami
1997-98 L  72-77(OT)  at Syracuse
1997-98 L  79-80(OT)  at Georgia Tech (NIT)

1998-99 L  90-93(2OT) at Villanova
1999-00 L  62-65(OT)     Seton Hall
1999-00 W 115-111(3OT)at Virginia (NIT)
2001-02 L  87-89 (OT) at Rutgers
2001-02 L 111-116(4OT)   Notre Dame
2001-02 L  72-83 (OT) at Villanova
2001-02 L  76-84 (OT) vs Miami (Big East)
2002-03 W  84-82 (OT)    West Virginia
2002-03 L  82-93 (OT)    Seton Hall
2002-03 L  92-93 (2OT)at Notre Dame

Even stranger, its record in two-overtime Big East games is an astounding 1-5. All but one of the losses were on the road.


1983-84 L  63-65(2OT)    Villanova
1985-86 L  88-90(2OT) at Villanova (Spectrum)
1987-88 W 102-98(2OT)    Seton Hall
1991-92 L  86-88(2OT) at Boston College
1998-99 L  90-93(2OT) at Villanova
2002-03 L  92-93(2OT) at Notre Dame
Notre Dame 93, Georgetown 92 (2OT) 2/1/03

"It was a tough loss, a real tough loss. We played hard today. Maybe we'll get a little luck down the road, but for now we're not getting any."--Gerald Riley

The Georgetown Hoyas usually save their best performances against the best teams. Then again, that doesn't make a 93-92 overtime loss to Notre Dame any easier.

A career high 38 points from Mike Sweetney keyed a 15 point second half comeback for the Hoyas, but a a pair of mental errors by Georgetown players late in the game are the lasting memories of this loss.

The Hoyas' early efforts started out slowly. Center Wesley Wilson picked up three fouls in the first 1:17 of play, including a technical foul and an unnecessary gesture to the sold out crowd. While the Irish were taking its share of ill-advised shots, its backcourt duo of Chris Thomas and matt Carroll seemed unstoppable. Thomas and carroll scored 28 of the Irish's first 33 points, and ND pulled ahead by as many as 11 in the first half. Sweetney's 12 points brought the Hoyas to 40-33 at the half.

"They hit a lot of big shots-they are both good players. That killed us early on in the game and we had to fight back," said sophomore Drew Hall in post game quotes. "I give a lot of respect to my teammates for fighting and digging deep and putting that to a halt at the end."

The Irish were strong coming out of halftime, and owned a 55-40 lead early in the second half. As has been the case in many Big East games, foul trouble nearly derailed the Hoyas' effort. Georgetown closed the lead to nine with 9:19 left when Tony Bethel fouled out, and seven Hoyas played with three fouls or more. Still the strategy of getting the ball into Sweetney met slow and steady success against the ND lead. The Irish led by nine, 63-54, when the Hoya comeback went into high gear.

After two missed shots by Thomas, Darrel Owens connected on free throw shots, 63-56. A ND turnover led Gerald Riley to unleash a three pointer, 63-59. And on the next series, after Thomas missed for a third consecutive shot, Sweetney was fouled and connected on a three point play, 63-62. The Irish were held without a field goal in the final 6:21 of play.

Tied at 69 with 46 seconds to play, Mike Sweetney missed on a one and one free throw situation, but the Hoyas held the Irish without a score. Holding for the last shot, Coach Esherick diagrammed a play to feed the ball inside to Sweetney. With the ball and a chance to win the game, freshman Brandon Bowman lost track of the clock and never fed the ball to Sweetney, failing to get a shot or pass as time expired.

In the overtime, Bowman struggled on the first possession and traveled. Carroll scored the Irish's next five points as the Domers looked to pull away, 74-71, until Gerald Riley sank a long three to tie the score. The teams traded buckets and free throws, and a call on Owens sent Notre Dame's Matt Carroll to the line, leading 80-79. He hit both free throws, and the Hoyas were running low on miracles when Hall unleashed only his second three pointer of the conference season to tie the score at 82. ND's Chris Thomas nearly answered the effort with a shot that rattled around and out as the buzzer sounded, sending the game into double overtime.

ND opened up the extra period with a foul and three point play, 85-82, but the Hoyas fought back. A free throw by Ashanti Cook (seeing time in his first game in a month) closed the count to 85-83, but the Hoyas fouled on consecutive possessions and ND led 88-83. The teams traded free throws to extend the lead to 90-85, but Hall defied the odds once again with a three, 90-88. A Carroll jumper extended the lead to 92-88, answered by a jumper from Sweetney and two clutch free throws by Hall tied the score at 92 with :10 left.

On the next series, Notre Dame's Torrian Jones was fouled by Darrel Owens driving to the basket with four seconds left. Jones missed the first free throw but made the second, 93-92. Hall took over with :04 left but shot a second too quick, an ill-advised 30 foot three point shot which sailed wide. The Hoyas battled for the rebound and did not get off a shot as time expired.

Sweetney's 38 point, 14 rebound effort was the 14th best scoring performance in Georgetown history. Gerald Riley (15 points) and Drew Hall (10 points) were the only other Hoyas in double figures. On the ND side of the ledger, Thomas and carroll combined for 60 of the Domers' 93 points, though Thomas shot only 4 for 20 in the game. Carroll, who set the ND career three point shooting mark in the game, finished 11 for 20 from the field, 6 for 12 from three point range, and 36 points. In contrast to its usual poor shooting from outside, Georgetown shot six threes in only 11 attempts. Its 20 assists were also its best in conference play to date.

The stats will mean little, however. With an odd combination of bad luck and mental lapses in key points of games, the Hoyas have dropped six of eight and are a only a half-game removed from Rutgers and the Western Division basement. Still, the players haven't packed it in.

"We made a lot of mental errors down at the end of the game which we need to correct," said Sweetney. "We can't keep talking about it, we need to start doing it because it's getting towards the end and we need to get as many wins as possible."

Next up: a road game at Syracuse, where 


           MIN  2FG  3FG    FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:
Bethel      20   2-5 0-2   2-2   2   3   5    6
Riley       45  5-14 3-4   2-2   5   2   5   15
Bowman      36   2-6 1-1   0-0   6   2   3    5
Sweetney    47 14-27 0-0 10-14  15   3   1   38
Wilson       6   2-2 0-0   1-2   2   1   3    5
Reserves:
Freeman     14   0-2 0-0   0-0   0   0   4    0
Hall        33   2-6 2-3   4-4   2   5   3   10
Samnick     12   1-2 0-0   1-2   1   1   2    3
Owens       31   2-4 0-0   5-6   7   3   4    9
Cook        6    0-2 0-1   1-2   1   0   0    1
DNP: Faulkner, Ross, Hillier
Totals     250 30-70 6-11 26-34 41  20  30   92

Post-game reports:

Seton Hall 93, Georgetown 82 (OT) 1/30/03

"It was like three people being in the right position and one person not. It's little things like that, that fans don't notice. But it's killing us."
--Tony Bethel, in the Washington Post

"We've got to figure out who we have on our team that wants to win. Those people that want to win, and work to win, are going to play. Those who want to make excuses and don't want to win are not going to play."
--Craig Esherick, in the Washington Post

What do Boston College, Miami, and Providence have in common? Each are teams with a couple of good players, a half dozen inconsistent players, and a 2-4 conference record that has knocked them right out of the Big East race with a month to play.

They've just got some more company.

Fouls, defensive lapses and continued poor outside shooting paced the Georgetown Hoyas to its sixth loss in eight games, as Seton Hall forced an overtime and walked away with a 93-82 sweep of the Hoyas before 7,242 at MCI Center.

The Hoyas (10-6, 2-4 Big East) opened the game with a performance much like its first game with the Pirates (8-9): sluggish play and porous defense allowed the Pirates ample room for an 11 point first half lead before the Hoyas narrowed the count to 36-31 at the half. Georgetown did not take its first lead until 9:53 to play, 56-54, and led by five at 62-57 with 6:43 to play. The Pirates' tandem of Andre Barrett and John Allen kept the Pirates close in spite of 63% second half GU shooting, and began to work on the lead when Mike Sweetney fouled out with 4:47 to play. The Pirates took the lead at 67-65 with 2:37 to play, and the two teams traded possessions (and turnovers). A pair of Tony Bethel offensive fouls on consecutive possessions kept the Pirates close, and with the score tied at 72 Gerald Riley tied up a Seton Hall possession with :07 left, but on the alternate possession the Hall retained possession, whereupon they alley-ooped the ball over Bethel to take the lead, 74-72. A court-length drive by Riley tied the score at 74-all with 1.9 seconds left.

In the overtime, Georgetown scored on the opening drive, 77-74, and a Drew Hall free throw gave the Hoyas a 78-76 lead with 3:49 to play. With Sweetney and Wilson fouled out and the Pirates' guards on a roll, the wheels shot off the Hoyas' plans once again. An Andre Barrett three with 2:07 gave the Pirates an 81-78 lead, and the Hoyas had no answer. Seton Hall scored 13 consecutive points in the overtime while the Hoyas went 2 for 9 from the field following Riley's opening basket.

It was the first road win for the Pirates in Big East play since Feb. 8, 2002, and only its third win at Georgetown ever in Big East play. Seton Hall sweeps the series between the two schools for the first time since 1987.

Three point shooting continues to be a complete waste of time for the Hoya offense. With its 3 for 14 effort Wednesday, the Hoyas are now shooting an embarrassing 15 for 73 (20%) in conference play. Outside of Tony Bethel (10 for 27), its next three options (Gerald Riley, Brandon Bowman, Drew Hall) have shot a combined 4 for 32 in six games, and the rest of the team is a combined 1 for 14. And among the most frustrating parts of these stats is that with a three--any three-- against St. John's, Pitt or Seton Hall, 2-4 is suddenly 4-2 or 5-1.

But it's not, and the Hoyas now take a winless road record to four straight conference games, including Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Rutgers, where the Scarlet Knights won their first Big East game of the season with a win over Syracuse. Maybe the change of scenery will help--with the loss, the Hoyas are now below .500 (22-23) in their own "home court" since it opened in 1998.

The box score is below. The statistics of the reserves also speaks volumes why foul-outs are a recipe for disaster with this team...and every opponent knows it.


           MIN  2FG  3FG    FT  REB  A  PF  PTS
Starters:
Bowman      18   3-7  0-2   0-0   4  1   5    6
Bethel      43  7-12  3-5   5-6   6  5   4   22
Riley       33  6-15  0-4   5-5   3  3   4   17
Sweetney    32   6-9  0-0  8-10  12  0   5   20
Wilson      17   5-8  0-0   2-3   3  0   5   12
Subtotal       27-51 3-11 20-24  28  9  23   77 
Reserves:
Freeman     13   0-2 0-0   0-0   0   1   1    0
Hall        23   0-3 0-1   2-4   3   3   2    2
Ross         1   0-0 0-0   0-0   0   0   0    0
Samnick     16   1-2 0-0   1-1   3   0   2    3
Owens       29   0-4 0-2   0-2   2   2   2    0
DNP: Faulkner, Hillier, Cook (injured)
Subtotal        1-11 0-3   3-7   8   6   7    5

TOTALS     225 28-62 3-14 23-31 36  15  30   82

Post-game reports:

Pittsburgh 65, Georgetown 64 1/26/03

"That was a very exciting college basketball game. I’m glad we walked out with a win. We didn’t play well offensively in the first half but attacked well in the second... Georgetown is a good team and no one should walk away without thinking that."--Pitt coach Ben Howland

All that stood between the Georgetown Hoyas and overtime against the #2 ranked Pittsburgh Panthers was 3.5 seconds...and referee Tim Higgins.

Higgins' phantom whistle on a driving Julius Page shot with only four-tenths of a second left allowed Pitt a 65-64 escape from the Hoyas before a sold-out crowd of 12,508 at the Petersen Events Center. The sour finish spoiled a inspired Georgetown effort from start to finish.

The Hoyas started off strong, with good shooting and a relentless defense that kept the panthers (15-1, 5-0 Big East) off their stride. Pitt missed seven of its first eight shot attempts and posted only six points in the first eight minutes of play. Georgetown led by as many as seven in the first half, 21-14, when Wesley Wilson sat with his third foul at the 6:53 mark. Wilson played early in the second half but no further, ending the game with a disappointing two points and two rebounds.

Three times in the first half Pitt made a run at the Georgetown lead, and each time the Hoyas held firm. Georgetown took a 29-25 halftime lead, but Pitt answered the second half bell by hitting on its first eight field goal attempts in a row, and built an 11 point lead, 48-37. Georgetown refused to fold, however, answering that run with an 11-0 run of its own to tie the score with 8:56 to play. No team led by more than four points thereafter.

The Hoyas' defense was as tough as Pitt has seen all year, and it was the first game all season where the Panthers trailed at the half while at home. The Georgetown defense held Brandin Knight and Donatas Zavackas to a combined 2 for 12 shooting, but the Panthers' hero was reserve forward Chevon Troutman. Troutman, averaging an amazing 75% from the field this season, scored on 5 of 5 from the field, and 10 of 10 from the line for 20 points and game-high honors.

Troutman began a key series with a tip-in to give Pitt a 59-56 lead with 2:50 to play. Mike Sweetney answered with a jumper, followed by two Pitt free throws and a Sweetney jumper to 61-60. After two more Pitt free throws, the Pitt defense shut down the Hoyas inside and forced a shot clock violation with 1:08 left.

Attempts by Pitt to run out the clock failed with a Pitt turnover with 30 seconds left. As Georgetown looked for the last shot, Troutman blocked a Brandon Bowman jumper and the Hoyas fouled Page, who hit 1 of 2 to lead 64-60 with 0:22 left. A seeming last-gasp three by Tony Bethel sailed wide but Pitt fouled off the rebound, allowing Drew Hall two free throws to close to 64-62. The Hoyas quickly fouled Zavackas, who missed two free throws and committed a foul on the ensuing play, giving Bowman an unlikely chance to tie the score. With 12,000 or so Pitt fans at a full decibel level, a pair of clutch free throws by Bowman tied the score with 3.5 seconds left.

On the inbounds, a long pass to Page sent the junior guard down the court, where his feet gave way adjacent to Drew Hall. There appeared no more than incidental contact, if that, but referee Tim Higgins quickly awarded Hall a fifth foul with 0.4 seconds left. Page made the first shot, intentionally missed the second, whereupon Georgetown had no time to set up a play in the final moment.

Fouls told the story of the game. All five Pitt starters collected at least three fouls each, with Ontario Lett and Brevin Knight fouling out for the Panthers, while the Hoyas lost Gerald Riley, Courtland Freeman, Victor Samnick, and Drew Hall. The teams combined for 57 fouls and 67 foul shots. Down the stretch, the Hoyas made 7 of 7 free throws, Pitt 11 of 14. The Panthers took 41 free throws, 15 more than the Hoyas, but Pitt connected on only 59% compared to Georgetown's 73% (19 for 26). For the game, the Hoya starting five was 12 of 13 from the line compared to 14 of 26 for the Panther five.

In games against teams ranked #1 (Duke) and #2 (Pitt), Georgetown has played as well as any opponent they have faced anywhere. Still, the upsets did not materialize. facing four of its next five Big East games on the road, the Hoyas (10-5 overall, 2-3 Big East, 0-4 on the road) need to make a statement to get back in the conference race.

Saturday's final was another in a long line of bad finishes in January for Georgetown teams. Dating back to 1985, the Hoyas have lost 11 of 19 games played on the last Saturday in January, and seven of the last eight. The box score follows below:


           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT  REB  A  PF   PTS
Starters:
Bowman      32   5-9 1-2  5-5   5   0   1   16
Sweetney    31   5-9 0-0  2-2   5   0   3   12
Wilson       9   1-3 0-0  0-0   2   0   3    2
Bethel      37   5-9 1-5  5-5   2   6   4   16
Riley       23  3-10 1-4  0-1   4   1   5    7
Reserves:
Freeman     21   1-4 0-0  2-2   5   0   5    4
Faulkner     3   0-0 0-0  0-2   0   0   0    0
Hall        16   0-1 0-0  4-4   3   0   5    4
Ross         1   0-0 0-0  0-0   1   0   0    0
Hillier      1   0-0 0-0  0-0   0   0   1    0
Samnick     16   0-3 0-0  1-5   6   0   5    1
Owens       10   1-2 0-0  0-0   0   2   0    2
DNP: Cook (injured)
TOTALS     200 21-50 3-11 19-26 33  9  32   64

Post-game reports:

GU 76, Rutgers 66 1/21/03

Mike Sweetney and Tony Bethel combined for 47 points as the Georgetown Hoyas overcame a second half scare from Rutgers and posted an important 76-66 win before 7,644 at MCI Center Monday.

Both teams started out shooting poorly, a harbinger of things to come. The Hoyas missed eight of its first 11 shots and posted only six points in the first eight minutes, trailing 10-6. A 12-1 run powered the Hoyas to a lead thereafter, while Rutgers was struggling with a variety of ill-timed outside shots. The Hoyas led by ten in the final minute but turned the ball over and Rutgers connected on consecutive two and three point shots to cut the deficit to five at the half, 33-28. Tony Bethel led all scorers with 12 at the break.

The Hoyas extended the lead to 39-28 at the start of the second half, but the Scarlet Knights switched to the pressing, full court attack used effectively by St. John's two days earlier, leading to a 8-0 Rutgers run and keeping the score tight throughout much of the half. While the Hoyas looked ragged at times, it was fortunate that they had 15 minutes to adjust versus its last minute meltdown versus St. John's. With the extra time, the Hoyas successfully weathered the attack.

The Scarlet Knights (8-8, 0-4 Big East) briefly held leads of 47-46 and 51-50, but deepening foul trouble for its big men and a penchant for wild three point shooting did them in. The Scarlet Knights went without a field goal for five minutes and added only one field goal in a nine minute stretch as Georgetown successfully adjusted to Rutgers' trapping defenses and pushed the ball into Mike Sweetney, with another strong effort (27 points, 13 rebounds) on both sides of the ball. A 10-3 run in the last five minutes helped power the Hoyas to the win, with a late charge from Tony Bethel, who finished with 20 points. No other Hoyas posted double figures for the game.

For the game, Rutgers shot 31% from the field and missed 23 of 29 three point attempts. A 46-45 rebounding edge (including a 17-10 offensive rebound edge) kept RU close throughout the game. RU's lading scorers, jerome Coleman and Ricky Shields, combined for 7 for 32 from the field, 4 for 22 from three.

The win could not have come at a better time for a Georgetown team which needed some confidence heading to #2 Pittsburgh Saturday. While the Hoyas still showed signs of erratic play (19 turnovers, including six in the first six minutes of the second half), they reduced needless three point shooting (only 2-6 from behind the arc) and took advantage of its inside game when Rutgers was forced into a guard-oriented lineup.

Some good adjustments, and some things to build on this week.

The Georgetown box score follows below:


           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT  REB  A  PF   PTS
Starters:
Bowman      31   2-6  0-0  1-2   5   0   3    5
Bethel      37  8-14  2-5  2-2   5   3   2   20
Riley       33   1-8  0-1  5-6   6   4   1    7
Sweetney    36 10-17  0-0 7-13  13   3   2   27
Wilson      13   2-5  0-0  0-0   2   1   3    4
Reserves:
Freeman     12   1-2  0-0  1-2   2   0   4    3
Hall        15   1-1  0-0  2-2   1   3   0    4
Samnick      5   0-0  0-0  0-0   2   0   1    0
Owens       18   2-3  0-0  2-3   6   1   2    6
DNP: Cook (injured), Faulkner, Ross, Hillier
TOTALS    200 27-56   2-6 20-30 42  15  18   76

Post-game reports:

Reports: Esherick Contract To Be Extended 1/20/03

Craig EsherickWhatever grumbling some fans expressed following the 77-72 loss to St. John's, Georgetown University thinks otherwise.

The Washington Times reported Sunday that sources said that head coach Craig Esherick was in talks for a multi-year contract extension, which could be completed this week. The Washington Post has an article in Monday's issue speaking with the Georgetown athletic department on the matter, and reports the extension could reach to the 2008-09 season.

"He's taken over for a legend at a school where you have to keep your mind on academics, and averaged 21 wins [a season]," said Joseph Lang, director of athletics. "He's been very, very good at dealing with all the issues you deal with on campus."

In his fourth season, Esherick is 80-48 (.625), which compares favorably to John Thompson's first four seasons at the Hilltop at 64-44 (.593). Although he has been the head coach only four years, only four Big East coaches have more tenure than Esherick.

St. John's 77, Georgetown 72 1/20/03

One would be hard pressed to remember a more disheartening finish in the modern history of Georgetown basketball.

Trailing by 17 points in the final 7:23 of play, the St. John's Redmen (nee Red Storm) turned to senior Marcus Hatten, who scored 19 of his game-high 34 points down the stretch in a 77-72 win at MCI Center. The lack of composure by Georgetown's play left its coaches stunned and solicited audible booing from some in the MCI crowd at the conclusion of the game. Were it not for a wild Tony Bethel shot at the end of the West Virginia game, the Hoyas would be staring at 0-3 in Big East play.

The two teams battled to a 35-all tie in the first half, with Mike Sweetney leading the Hoyas and Hatten held in check by the defensive prowess of Gerald Riley. Georgetown built its lead with a halftime correction by the coaching staff that held the Redmen to seven points in the first nine minutes of the half and a 53-42 advantage. A pair of free throws than built the lead to 69-52 when St. John's made their move. The Redmen closed to eleven but GU built the lead back to 14, and when Gerald Riley fouled out with under five minutes to go, Hatten had no equal on the Hoya defense, and was glad to oblige as the Hoyas self-destructed.

The win marked St. John's fifth straight victory over Georgetown dating back to 1997. The MCI Center court continues to be every opponent's best friend--since 1998, Georgetown is 22-22 (.500) on its own "home" court, and since the 2000-01 season has done about as well on the road (10-7) as at home (10-8).

The problem is that you can't count on the road to advance in the standings. Following Monday's game with Rutgers, five of the Hoyas' next seven are on the road, with one conference home game between Jan. 20 and Feb. 15.

Game stats are below. But here are three stats the team and staff would do well to ponder:

1. In three conference games, the Hoyas have given up 65 turnovers, an abysmal assist to turnover ratio of 0.44. Put another way, that's a turnover every 110 seconds of action.
2. In three games, the Hoyas are 7 of 42 from three point range (16 percent), the Hoyas' lowest statistic in conference play since the three point shot went into effect.
3. In three games the GU bench has contributed an average of only 14 points a game, and has not topped 10 points in the last two. Saturday, the bench contributed two field goals and seven of the Hoyas season-high 24 turnovers.

A full review of stats at the halftime point of the season follows Thursday.


           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT  REB  A  PF   PTS
Starters:
Bowman       34 4-7  0-2  4-7   8   3  5    12
Bethel       37 3-11 2-5  2-2  10   3  5    10
Riley        29 2-7  1-4  5-5   2   0  5    10
Sweetney     29 5-8  0-0 11-13  7   0  3    21
Wilson       22 2-5  0-0  5-5   7   0  2     9
Reserves:
Freeman      10 0-5  0-1  0-0   3   0  1     0
Hall         19 2-3  0-0  5-6   3   1  0     9
Samnick      17 0-0  0-0  1-2   3   0  2     1
Owens         3 0-0  0-0  0-0   2   0  0     0
DNP: Cook (injured), Faulkner, Ross, Hillier
TOTALS        18-46 3-12 34-40  45  8  23   72

Post-game reports:

"You could see they were scared."-- St. John's guard Willie Shaw

Deer CrossingNo, this sign wasn't on the MCI sideline, but the finish to Saturday's game could have used the warning, because the players on the court were much like a deer crossing the road--the headlights of the oncoming Redmen simply blinded the Hoyas. For no apparent reason, and oblivious to its bench imploring them to respond to the pressure defense, the Hoyas not only allowed St. John's back in the game, but committed five fouls and seven turnovers in the final 4:22.

Hatten led a comeback that erased nine points off the lead in two minutes. With 2:04 left, here is the game sequence:

GU Possession SJU Possession Score
    G, 67-58
  Ingram 3 pointer G, 67-61
Turnover (Hall)   G, 67-61
  Hatten jumper G, 67-63
Sweetney jumper   G, 69-63
  Hatten 3 pointer G, 69-66
Offensive foul (Bowman)   G, 69-66
  Hatten 3 pointer Tie,69-69
Samnick FT, turnover (Sweetney)   G, 70-69
  Hatten layup SJ, 71-70
Turnover (Samnick)   SJ, 71-70
  Hatten layup SJ 73-70
Hall free throws   SJ 73-72
  Hatten free throws SJ 75-72
Turnover (Hall)   SJ 75-72
  Ingram free throw SJ,76-72
Offensive foul (Bowman)   SJ 76-72
  St. John free throw SJ 77-72
Missed shot (Bowman)   Final
Thompson Honored At St. John's Game 1/16/03

Georgetown University has announced a month-long community initiative beginning on this weekend's holiday. From GUHoyas.com:

"As part of its efforts, Georgetown will present the inaugural "John Thompson Legacy of a Dream Award" during halftime festivities at the Saturday, January 18 Georgetown-St. John's basketball game at the MCI Center. The first award was given to John Thompson, Coach Emeritus of Georgetown men's basketball team, in honor of his service to the community and dedication to the values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

Seton Hall 68, Georgetown 54 1/13/03

Mike Sweetney can't do it all, folks.

Four Georgetown guards (Tony Bethel, Drew Hall, Gerald Riley and RaMell Ross) combined to miss 24 of 27 shots and allowed an underrated Seton Hall team a surprisingly easy 68-54 win before 7,114 at Continental Airlines Arena.

The Hall (6-7, 1-3 Big East) took a 7-6 lead early and the Hoyas never regained the lead. Many of the same problems evident in the West Virginia game continued to bedevil the Hoyas, shooting 9 for 27 in the first half and giving up 12 turnovers, while allowing the Pirates to hit on 55% of its shots and take a 39-26 halftime lead.

In the second, the two teams basically played even, The Hoyas closed to within seven at two occasions but Seton Hall answered on both occasions. A late run closed to nine, 60-51, with 2:49 left but the Hoyas' outside shooting was non-existent and the Pirates scored eight of the final eleven points of the game.

Mike Sweetney led all Georgetown scorers with 22 points, but no one else was close. With Ashanti Cook and Darrel Owens out with injuries, and Gerald Riley playing through injury, the other Hoyas did not rise to the occasion. Senior Wesley Wilson continues his rapid retreat from the stat sheets, scoring one point in this game and seven points in his last three. Guard Tony Bethel finished a career low 0 for 9, while Drew Hall, with a 1 for 7 effort, is now shooting 28% from the field.

The Hoyas were 2 for 20 in three point attempts and 0 for 13 in the second half. In its last three games, the Hoyas have scored 8 three pointers in 47 attempts. Enough said.

Game stats:


           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT  REB  A  PF   PTS
Starters:
Bethel     37   0-9  0-4  1-2   3   3   2    1
Riley      28   1-6  0-4  2-2   3   0   5    4
Bowman     16   4-6  0-0  1-2   4   0   2    9
Sweetney   36  8-17  0-0  6-9   9   2   4   22
Wilson     10   0-2  0-0  1-2   3   0   2    1
Reserves:
Freeman     6   0-0  0-0  0-0   1   0   1    0
Hall       26   1-7  1-6  0-0   3   1   4    3
Ross       14   1-5  1-4  0-0   3   0   2    3
Samnick    27   4-7  0-1  3-4   5   1   3   11
DNP: Cook, Owens (both injured),
Faulkner, Hillier
TOTALS        19-59 2-20 14-21 34   7  25   54

Here are links to post-game coverage. The Washington Times game report was not posted to its web site, but its game notes (linked below) is available.

Esherick Not Suspended For WVU Remarks 1/14/03

The Big East conference will not suspend head coach Craig Esherick for comments made after Sunday's West Virginia game, according to ESPN.com.

"Craig was not going after the officials personally or going after their integrity. Those are the two things I'll never accept from anyone," Tranghese told the Washington Post. "But I told him he can't go through that again, and he assured me he won't."

Esherick talked candidly to the press after the game on the pounding Mike Sweetney is taking in recent games. As Washington Post correspondent Ken Denlinger put it, "No one who has watched Esherick in public during his four-plus seasons as Georgetown's coach had ever seen him so furious." Recaps can be found in the Washington Post and Washington Times.

While the quotes vary in each newspaper, it was evident that Esherick was sending a message that Sweetney is not getting foul calls inside. While Esherick did not mention any officials by name, he conceded that the conference could have disciplined him for his comments.

Georgetown 84, West Virginia 82 (OT) 1/12/03

It's not like Hoya fans haven't seen this before. Four times in the last five years Georgetown has opened the MCI Center portion of Big East play with a loss--Villanova in 1998, Rutgers in 1999, Seton Hall in 2000, Miami in 2002.

What they haven't seen before was a surprising Georgetown comeback, overcoming a five point deficit in the final minute of play to survive into overtime and defeat West Virginia, 84-82, before 8,495 at MCI Center. The home court magic has been sorely missing at MCI, where the Hoyas were only 21-21 (.500) in Big East play since moving there in January, 1998.

Outmanned on its roster, the Mountaineers (9-3) employed a motion offense that kept the Hoyas as ill-suited as their predecessors once did versus Princeton. Effective from outside (WVU made their first three three pointers) but ineffective in the middle (missing their first nine attempts) the Hoyas were able to take the lead with 3:04 in the half and own a 34-28 lead going into halftime.

In the second half, Georgetown jumped to an early ten point lead at 51-40, but WVU had begun to attack the inside and its motion offense narrowed the score to 57-52. The Hoyas kept Mike Sweetney busy, with numerous inside plays and free throws to build the lead to to 61-52, when the Mountaineers began to crawl back with free throws and back-door plays to the basket. A 14-2 WVU run gave the Mountaineers a 66-65 lead with 3:02 left, and a 72-67 lead with 1:35 left.

The two teams exchanged free throws and WVU held a 74-69 lead in the final minute. Georgetown answered with a RaMell Ross field goal to close to three, then took possession in the final 20 seconds when a WVU pass sailed wide at midcourt. A three point attempt missed its target but was deflected off the hands of a WVU player, giving Georgetown a last chance with 5.2 seconds left. On the inbound, Drew Hall found Tony Bethel in the corner, where an improbable three point attempt (improbable since Georgetown had missed eight of its previous nine three point attempts) was good with 2.1 seconds left. A desperation shot by the Mountaineers sailed wide of the basket, taking the teams into overtime.

In the overtime, the Hoyas called upon Sweetney time and again for the offense. Six of the Hoyas' ten points in OT came from Sweetney, who matched his career high in the contest. For its part, West Virginia was fouled to tie the game at 80 but could not convert on the free throw. The Hoyas went to Sweetney for the lead, 82-80, and it was a Sweetney steal and a defensive stop on the final two series that helped the Hoyas hold the lead. A pair of free throws from Tony Bethel with 6.5 seconds in the overtime were the margin of victory.

Sweetney's performance was outstanding. Dogged by foul trouble in the Hoyas' losses at Virginia and Duke, Sweetney finished with 35 points, 19 rebounds, 5 blocks, 4 assists, and three steals, which were team highs in every category. He picked up only one foul in 41 minutes of play.

West Virginia deserves credit for a great game. Its three point shooting (7-16, 4-6 in the second half) far outpaced the Hoyas 2 for 10; in fact, Georgetown is only 16 for 61 (.262) from the three point line in its last four games.

WVU will prove to be a tough opponent throughout conference play, and the Mountaineers will host Pittsburgh later this week. Georgetown moves on to a road game at Seton Hall on Tuesday.

Game stats:


           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT    REB  A  PF   PTS
Starters:
Bowman      20  0-7  0-3  1-2    3   1   2    1
Bethel      31  4-7  2-3  4-4    3   2   3   14
Riley       25  4-10 0-2  4-4    4   4   5   12
Sweetney    41 13-23 0-0 9-13   19   4   1   35
Wilson       2  0-1  0-0  0-0    0   0   0    0
Reserves:
Freeman     15  1-2  0-0  0-3    3   0   3    2
Hall        35  1-4  0-0  0-0    0   0   4    2
Ross        14  2-5  0-1  0-0    4   2   2    4
Samnick     25  4-8  0-1  0-0    5   1   4    8
Owens       17  3-3  0-0  0-0    2   0   1    6
DNP: Cook (injured), Faulkner, Hillier, Beal
TOTALS        32-70 2-10 18-26  43  14  25   84

Here are links to post-game coverage. More links will be posted as available.

A question was raised on the HoyaTalk message board when Georgetown's last home court overtime win was, mindful of last year's overtime heartbreaks. Would you believe twelve years?

Sunday's win was the Hoyas' first home court overtime win February 9, 1991, a 71-62 win over Villanova at Capital Centre. Prior to Sunday's game, the Hoyas were a disappointing 4-16 in extra periods since 1991, 0-5 at home.


Home
1992-93 L  58-66(OT)     Providence
1993-94 L  83-84(OT)     Maryland 
1993-94 L  75-76(OT)     Villanova
1999-00 L  62-65(OT)     Seton Hall
2001-02 L 111-116(4OT)   Notre Dame

Road or Neutral:
1991-92 L  66-76(OT)  vs Virginia (at Greensboro, NC)
1991-92 L  86-88(2OT) at Boston College
1991-92 L  71-73(OT)  at Seton Hall
1993-94 L  67-73(OT)  at Providence
1993-94 W  76-71(OT)  vs Seton Hall (Big East)
1994-95 W  83-80(OT)  vs Memphis (at Toronto, ON)
1995-96 W  83-80(OT)  at West Virginia
1996-97 L  65-68(OT)  at Miami
1997-98 L  72-77(OT)  at Syracuse
1997-98 L  79-80(OT)  at Georgia Tech (NIT)
1998-99 L  90-93(2OT) at Villanova
1999-00 W 115-111(3OT)at Virginia (NIT)
2001-02 L  87-89 (OT) at Rutgers
2001-02 L  72-83 (OT) at Villanova
2001-02 L  76-84 (OT) vs Miami (Big East)

 

Duke 93, Georgetown 86 1/9/03

"We did a heck of a job coming in here and it's a tough place to play. I thought we gave a great effort. I think our younger guys are going to learn from this. Mike (Krzyzewski) has a good team. They're number one for a reason."--Craig Esherick

"What a great basketball game. The intensity of both teams was sensational. The pace of the game... it was a great, great basketball game. I'm so proud of our guys. Georgetown played extremely well. They're really good and deep. And with Sweetney, they have probably one of the top five players in the country."--Mike Krzyzewski

Dahntay Jones and Daniel Ewing led a second half comeback to pace the #1-ranked Blue Devils to an 93-86 win over the Georgetown Hoyas at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the first game all year where the Blue Devils have not won by double digits. Mike Sweetney scored 23 points in 25 minutes of play, which was the subplot during this national televised game, Georgetown's first visit ever to Duke and only the third meeting between the schools since the 1932-33 season.

The Hoyas played its best half in two years in the opening frame. Effective pressure defense and patient shot selection silenced the raucous Duke crowd early with the unranked Hoyas matching the Devils at each possession. The Hoyas held a 33-31 lead with 5:45 to play when Sweetney was tagged with his second foul and he went to the bench, but the Hoyas stayed strong and took a 44-41 lead in at the half. Duke was beset by poor shooting from the outside (1-10 from three point range) and the foul line (6-15) and were unable to take advantage of 13 Hoya turnovers.

As was the case in the second half versus Virginia, officials' calls played a role in Sweetney's limited play. Ironically, with two of the same officials who called the Virginia game (Jim Burr, Karl Hess), Sweetney was tagged with a touch foul 18 seconds into the second half and picked up his fourth with the Hoyas leading 49-48 with 16:34 to play. Both appeared to be close calls, if that.

When Sweetney sat, Duke went to work, with a quick 10-0 run keyed by Chris Duhon, held to only two points in the first half. Duke hit a whopping 70% of its early shots, building the lead before Sweetney returned with 12:55 to play.

The Hoyas did not give up, however. A Gerald Riley three narrowed the lead to 68-63 with 10:18 to play, but the Devils answered with an 8-0 run to build the lead to 13, 76-63. Again the Hoyas battled to nine, 78-69, where a Darrel Owens jam was broken up without a foul call and Duke answered with to lead 81-69. Through it all, Sweetney continued to keep the Hoyas competitive, scoring 15 of his game-high 25 in the final 12 minutes before picking up his 5th foul in the last moments of the game.

From a 87-73 deficit with 2:42 to play, Georgetown cut the deficit in half by game's end. Some strong efforts were seen by reserves Victor Samnick (7 points, 6 rebounds) and Darrel Owens (11 points, 4 rebounds). And give the coaching staff credit for cutting down on turnovers--the Hoyas gave up only four in the entire second half.

The Hoyas were led in scoring by Michael Sweetney's 23 points and 14 from Gerald Riley. Duke was led by former Rutgers transfer Dahntay Jones, with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Daniel Ewing with 19. Shelden Williams took advantage of Sweetney's struggles to stay in the game and posted 15 points and 11 rebounds. Chris Duhon was held to only eight points.

The Hoyas' guards were a step slow against Duke's backcourt and as the tempo increased, guard play suffered. Tony Bethel, with 11 first half points, failed to score until the final moment of the game. Ashanti Cook and Drew Hall scored two points between them.

After going 1-10 from three in the first half, Duke shot 4-6 in the second. The three was no friend to Georgetown, finishing 2-11 in the second and 4-17 overall. For the game, Duke shot 52% to Georgetown's 45%, and outrebounded the Hoyas 45-37. Both teams shot well in the second half. Duke's 17-25 (68%) is admittedly hard to beat, but the Hoyas ended the second half shooting 16-26 (61%) from two point range and 18-37 (48%) overall for the half.

Two other stats: Duke is now 164-8 (.953) against non-conference teams at home since 1982, and when scoring 80 or more points, it is a remarkable 380-37 (.911) under Krzyzewski's tenure.

The game was a good test and a valuable learning experience heading into Big East play. And this quote from Duke-friendly commentator Dick Vitale sums it up: "If I were Duke, I wouldn't want to play Georgetown in the NCAA tournament on a neutral court where Sweetney can play 35 minutes."

Game stats are included with points by half broken out:


          MIN  2FG  3FG  FT  REB  A  PF 1H 2H Tot
Starters:
Bowman     17   1-5 1-2  2-2   5  1   2  2  3  5
Sweetney   25  9-16 0-0  5-7   6  1   5 10 13 23
Wilson     13   2-6 0-0  0-1   4  0   4  2  2  4
Bethel     29  4-11 1-5  4-5   5  4   0 11  2 13
Riley      31  6-11 2-4  0-0   2  0   2  5  9 14
Reserves:
Freeman     3   0-1 0-0  1-3   0  0   1  1  0  1
Hall       20   2-7 0-3  0-0   0  2   5  2  2  4
Ross        1   1-1 0-0  0-0   0  0   0  0  2  2
Samnick    23   3-4 0-0  1-2   6  2   5  2  5  7
Owens      20   5-7 0-1  1-2   4  0   1  7  4 11
Cook       18   1-7 0-2  0-0   3  2   0  2  0  2
DNP: Faulkner, Hillier, Beal  
TOTALS        34-76 4-17 14-22 35 12 25 44 42 86

Post-game coverage is extensive:

How did some of the key matchups go?

Chris Duhon vs. Tony Bethel. A tale of two halves. Bethel held Duhon in check and was the better man in the first half but the tables were turned in the second half. Duhon's nine assists and a big three pointer powered the Devils' comeback, while Bethel missed six of his seven second half shots and was out of position at a number of Duke breaks.
J.J. Redick versus Gerald Riley. Riley did an outstanding job, shutting out Redick in the first half and helping the Hoyas maintain composure in Sweetney's absence. Riley finished with 14 points, 3 steals, and only one turnover.
Dahntay Jones versus Brandon Bowman. Jones dominated the younger Bowman en route to a 9-12 shooting night. Samnick helped late but Bowman managed only 1-5 shooting and three turnovers in 17 minutes.
Shelden Williams versus Mike Sweetney. The Pre-Game Report page said Georgetown needed 35 minutes from Sweetney, but only got 25. Georgetown must work to keep him away from cheap fouls in Big East play.
Casey Sanders versus Wesley Wilson. Both were disappointing. Sanders collected four fouls and one field goal attempt in six minutes. Wilson could not shoulder the load in Sweetney's absence, picked up four fouls and three turnovers and scored only four points.
The Bench. Duke's bench was 12-21 from the field for 34 points, while Georgetown's reserves were 12-27 for 26 points. Cook and Hall were a combined 3-14, 0-5 from three point range.

Georgetown 85, Virginia Military Institute 48 12/31/02

Mike Sweetney scored 23 points as the Georgetown Hoya defense held off VMI, 85-48, before a matinee crowd of 6,631 at MCI Center Tuesday.

The Keydets (5-6) were without the assistance of leading scorer Jason Conley, sidelined with a foot injury, but played tough early. Georgetown held a three point lead at 19-16 midway through the half, slowed by fouls but supported by expert free throw (shooting 10-10) early. At 28-20, the wheels fell off the Keydets' arsenal. Georgetown's defense kept VMI without a field goal for the final 8:54 of the half, and a 28-20 deficit grew to 50-29 by halftime.

A similar situation faced VMI in the second. Down 21, the Keydets played Georgetown even for much of the first part of the second half, but Georgetown's defense stopped the Keydets cold towards the end. The Hoyas amassed a 27-3 run late in the half as the score increased from 54-39 to 81-42 in a ten minute streak.

For the game, the Keydets were held to 24% (16-66) shooting and 18% (3-16) from three point range. The Hoyas shot only 41% (26-62) but sank 28 of 34 free throw attempts. Sweetney was joined in double figures by Ashanti Cook (15) Wesley Wilson (12) and Gerald Riley (11), although Wilson struggled mightily from the field with a 3 for 10 effort. Sophomores Tony Bethel and Drew Hall combined for only six points, each in foul trouble much of the game.

"I don't think I've seen classier kids on a game like this where it's a runaway," said VMI coach Bart Bellairs said in the Washington Times link below. "Georgetown was tough, they're mean, they've got that Hoya reputation, but they also don't get enough credit for being classy. They're the classiest kids we've played against. It was a real privilege to play them."

Game stats:


           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT    REB  A  PF   PTS
Starters:
Bowman     15   2-6   1-1   0-0   5   1   3    5
Bethel     12   1-1   1-1   0-0   4   1   4    3
Riley      20   3-8   1-4   4-4   2   3   3   11
Sweetney   22   5-9   0-0 13-15   9   1   2   23
Wilson     24  3-10   0-1   6-7   8   0   1   12
Reserves:
Freeman     9   0-2   0-0   0-0   1   1   1    0
Faulkner    2   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   0   0    0
Hall       18   1-2   1-2   0-0   1   3   3    3
Ross        4   0-2   0-1   0-0   0   0   0    0
Hillier     2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0   0    0
Samnick    19   4-6   0-0   0-0   6   1   2    8
Owens      22   1-2   1-2   2-4   6   3   0    5
Cook       31  6-13   0-2   3-4   3   3   1   15
DNP: Beal  
TOTALS    200 26-62  5-14  28-34  45  17  20  85

Here are links to post-game coverage.

Virginia 79, Georgetown 75 12/30/02

Holding off a furious Georgetown run in the final minutes, the University of Virginia defeated Georgetown 79-75 before 8,241 at University Hall in Charlottesville and a national TV audience.

The game was battled early in the front court. Virginia's Travis Watson and reserve Elton Brown combined for 25 of Virginia's 36 first half points. For his part, Mike Sweetney was saddled with foul trouble, picking up two fouls in the first three minutes of play and fouling out with 6:40 to play with 11 points and four rebounds.

The Hoyas jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and led 21-17 midway through the half but Virginia took a lead that they held much of the game. The Cavaliers shot well throughout the game and key plays by Devin Smith and reserve guard Todd Byers allowed the Hoos to hold the lead even with Watson hobbled by injury and guard Todd Billet being shut down by the Georgetown defense.

Virginia led 36-30 at the half and built a comfortable 68-54 lead with 7:49 to play. From that point, Georgetown shocked the home crowd with a 20-5 run, capped by an Ashanti Cook drive across the baseline to tie the score at 70, with under three minutes to play. The Hoyas led following a free throw at 71-70 with 2:26 to play.

On Virginia's next possession, Brown sank a jumper to give Virginia a 72-71 lead. On its series, Wilson missed a short jumper and Watson drove inside for the Cavs to lead 74-71 with :38 to play. In contrast to games last year where the Hoyas held the ball for a last shot and had no time for a follow-up, Georgetown drove for a quick shot, but its three point attempt fell short and Gerald Riley was called for his fifth foul a few moments later. Virginia connected on five of six free throws in the final 38 seconds while the hoyas missed four of five shot attempts in the waning moments.

In the post-game press conference, Coach Esherick gave full credit to the Virginia effort but chose his words carefully about the officiating. Georgetown was cited for 27 fouls to Virginia's 19, giving the Cavs 28 free throw attempts to Georgetown's 13. Furthermore, the loss of Sweetney at key points and Riley were major blows to the Hoyas' cause.

"I think that it's interesting that the Big Ten can even think about suspending Mike Davis for six games for running out on the floor, and I have to keep my mouth shut after the job one particular referee did today," Esherick said. "I can't say anything. I'm not allowed to say a word."

Elton Brown's big day came against Wesley Wilson, who was also saddled with early foul calls. I used that move a couple of times in the first half and I realized that their big guys weren't adapting to it," Brown remarked. "I said, 'If they can't stop it, why not keep using it?"

He did, and the Cavaliers earned the win.

Virginia shot 56% for the game and canned 7 of 14 three pointers. Georgetown shot a season low 42% with only 5 of 20 attempts scoring from three point range. The Virginia bench outscored Georgetown's reserves 46-21, with Watson and Brown combining for 30 of the 46.

It's the sixth win in the last eight games between the two schools, five of which having been decided by six points or less. It's also the sixth straight by Virginia in a regular season game over Georgetown in the modern era of the series, and as a result Georgetown has not defeated Virginia in the regular season since this series was suspended after the 1912-13 season.

However, it's the kind of series that should be played year in and year out--good schools, good programs, the very kind of regional rivalry Georgetown has lacked for 20+ years. Time will tell if the two schools can build such a relationship.

Game stats:


           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT    REB  A  PF   PTS
Starters:
Bowman      18   2-7   0-1   2-2   4   1   1    6
Sweetney    15   4-7   0-0   3-4   4   2   5   11
Wilson      28   5-9   0-0   1-1  10   1   4   11
Bethel      37  3-11   1-7   0-0   0   3   4    7
Riley       32  8-16   3-6   0-0   4   2   5   19
Reserves:
Freeman     14   3-5   0-0   1-1   3   0   3    7
Hall        22   0-4   0-4   0-0   1   2   2    0
Samnick     21   2-6   0-0   1-5   6   0   1    5
Owens        3   1-2   0-0   0-0   1   0   0    2
Cook        10   3-6   1-2   0-0   2   1   2    7
DNP: Faulkner, Ross, Hillier 
TOTALS     200 31-73  5-20   8-13 35  12  27   75

Here are links to post-game coverage.

Washington Times Feature On Causey 12/24/02

The Washington Times has an article on the recruiting of guard Matt Causey. An interesting topic, and recommended reading.

Georgetown To Host 2006 Regionals 12/24/02

As noted in a press release at GUHoyas.com, MCI Center has been awarded the 2006 NCAA Eastern Regionals on March 24 and 26, 2006. Georgetown will be the host school, but by NCAA rule will not compete in a region featuring their home arena.

Georgetown 91, Howard 66 12/21/02

Four Georgetown starters finished in double figures as Georgetown ended its homestand with a 91-66 win over Howard at MCI Center Friday night.

Howard was playing in its first game following an eleven day break and the Hoyas took early advantage, leading by 16 at 35-19 with some good inside work from Mike Sweetney and 15 first half points from Tony Bethel. The Hoyas gave up a number of turnovers (13 in the first half) and Howard began to find some rebounding help, and Howard began to make a late run. The Bison went on a 19-8 run at the close of the half, cutting the lead to seven at 44-37 and the first basket of the second half cut the lead to 44-39.

Georgetown's defense stopped the tandem of Kyle Williams and Ron Williamson and the Hoyas began to build the lead. Williams, the transfer from Colorado, was 3-10 in the first half but only 1-10 in the second. Williamson, who had scored 41 in a game versus the Hoyas two years ago, was 4-8 in the first half but 5-17 in the second, leading the Bison with 25.

Georgetown built a 16 point lead midway through the second half. Howard entered the bonus with 10:14 to play and Georgetown did very well at the line down the stretch (6-7), finishing 18-23 from the line.

For the game, The Hoyas shot 59 percent and held the Bison (1-6) to 33% shooting, though Howard had 16 more shot attempts than Georgetown. The Hoyas did not perform as well on the boards, with a 40-37 rebound edge and a 21-21 tie in rebounds at halftime.

Game stats:



           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT    REB  A  PF   PTS
Starters:
Bowman      22   3-6  0-3  0-0   4   2   3    6
Bethel      28  7-10  3-5  3-3   2   5   2   20
Riley       22   4-8  2-4  3-3   1   2   3   13
Sweetney    36  8-13  0-0 7-12  15   3   1   23
Wilson      15   6-7  0-0  1-1   9   1   4   13
Reserves:
Freeman     21   1-4  0-0  4-4    0   5   3   6
Hall        33   2-5  1-3  0-0    1   6   2   5
Samnick      4   0-0  0-0  0-0    0   1   0   0
Owens        6   0-0  0-0  0-0    0   1   2   0
Cook        13   2-3  1-1  0-0    1   1   1   5
DNP: Faulkner, Ross, Hillier, Beal  
TOTALS     200 33-56 7-16 18-23   33  27  21 91

Here are links to post-game coverage.

Georgetown 84, Norfolk State 48 12/17/02

In their first game in 11 days, the Hoyas shook of some exam-time rust and otherwise rolled past Norfolk State, 84-48, before 5,447 at MCI Center Monday night.

After 11 days of inaction with final exams, the Hoyas played like it in the first ten minutes of play. Up 10-7, the Hoyas spotted the Spartans a 10-0 run and trailed by seven, 17-10, with Derrick Smith scoring 10 of the Spartans first 17 points. At that point, Coach Esherick switched the lineup to a smaller, more mobile one and the Hoyas began to bounce back.

Freshmen Ashanti Cook and Brandon Bowman rallied the Hoyas' cause, combining for 17 first half points in a 19-3 run to give the Hoyas a 29-20 lead with 3:52 in the half and a nine point lead at the half, 35-26. Georgetown shot only 39% for the half and had one field goal more than Norfolk State, but connected 10 free throws to build the lead.

The second half was all Georgetown. Mike Sweetney scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half and Gerald Riley scored his eight points all in the second, as the Hoyas' size and depth allowed them to pull away. The Spartans closed to 12 points midway through the period, but no closer. The Hoyas also benefited from good free throw shooting in the second half (17-21) which kept the lead at a healthy distance from the Spartans.

Derrick Smith finished with 23 points for the Spartans on 9-17 shooting, but the rest of the team combined to shoot 8-42. Smith shot 3-7 from three point range, while the rest of the team was 2-14. The Spartans gave up 28 turnovers that led to 31 Georgetown points, while the Hoyas struggled with 22 turnovers of its own.

Game stats:



           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT    REB  A  PF   PTS
Starters:
Bowman      23  5-12  1-4  7-8    9   1   1   18
Bethel      25   2-8  1-2  2-4    3   2   2    7
Riley       20   3-5  0-1  2-2    4   2   4    8
Sweetney    27  5-10  0-0 7-10    5   2   4   17
Wilson      23   5-8  0-0  0-4    8   0   2   10
Reserves:
Freeman      3   0-1  0-0  0-0    1   0   1    0
Hall        32   1-4  1-3  0-0    8   3   2    3
Ross         2   1-1  0-0  4-4    0   0   0    6
Hillier      2   0-0  0-0  0-0    0   1   1    0
Owens       17   0-3  0-0  1-2    3   2   1    1
Cook        25   3-9  2-4  4-4    4   2   1   12
Beal         1   1-1  0-0  0-0    0   0   0    2
TOTALS     200 26-62 5-14 27-38  45  15  19   84

Here are links to post-game coverage.

Various media sources (among them WTNT and the Washington Times report) referred to Georgetown's first meeting with Norfolk State as being in 1942-43. However, the 1943 game was with a team from the Norfolk Navy Base, not Norfolk State. NSU did not field a varsity team until 1954.

Georgetown 67, South Carolina 59 12/05/02

Final exams are next week on the Georgetown campus, but the Hoya men's basketball team passed an important test Thursday night.

Led by 26 points from Mike Sweetney, the Georgetown Hoyas overcame poor shooting and foul problems to defeat South Carolina, 67-59, before a weather-limited crowd of 5,469 at MCI Center. South Carolina, one of four nationally prominent teams on the non-conference schedule, held a second half lead but struggled down the stretch with Georgetown's defensive pressure and some key free throw shooting.

The game started with physical play, leading to five Georgetown team fouls in the first four minutes and sending Gerald Riley to the locker room with a chipped tooth. Still, the Hoyas built leads of 16-5 and 21-11 early, but the Gamecocks (4-1) began to narrow the count with free throw shooting. Sweetney was off his form, missing a number of close-in shots while the Gamecocks' Carlos Powell keyed an early SC run to close the lead to 31-29 at halftime.

Counted upon for early scoring, Georgetown's Gerald Riley picked up his fourth foul a minute into the second half, and the Gamecocks took a lead at 40-39. After the team went 1 for 7 from three point range in the first half, Tony Bethel added a three to take the lead at 42-40, but South Carolina scored the next five to lead 45-42 with 12:30 to play. Powell picked up his fourth foul with 9:55 to play in the midst of a 13-0 Georgetown run, where defense shut the Gamecocks down on 13 consecutive field goal attempts.

South Carolina closed the count to three, 53-50, when freshman Ashanti Cook scored an important three pointer to increase the lead to 56-50. When SC's Chuck Eidson picked up his fifth foul with 3:01 to play, it appeared that the Hoyas would have to hold the game at the line, which is exactly what they did. Georgetown converted nine of its final 11 points from the line on 9 for 10 shooting, ending any hopes of a rally even though the Gamecocks scored on its last four possessions.

A key stat was the defensive pressure on Eidson, the Gamecocks' leading scorer. South Carolina coach Dave Odom called his performance too "casual", but the Hoya defense held Eidson to two points and eight turnovers before Eidson fouled out late.

Georgetown still has some work to be done. The Hoyas shot a season low 39%, 29% from three. The guards shot a combined 5-16, and center Wesley Wilson had another quiet game in the paint (6 points, 3 rebounds), allowing an opponent to out rebound the Hoyas for the second straight game. With foul trouble and the aforementioned injury, Gerald Riley was only 1 of 7 in limited action. And while Sweetney missed an uncharacteristic 12 shots, the 12 he made were the ones that made a difference.

The Hoyas are still on the outside looking in at the Top 25, but they remain on track to earning a seat at the table. After an eleven day break for exams, the Blue and Gray return to action December 16 against Norfolk State.

Game stats:



           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT  REB  A  PF PTS
Starters:
Bowman       9   0-3 0-2  0-0   0   1   2   0
Bethel      35   3-8 2-5  4-4   5   5   2  12
Riley       18   1-7 1-4  2-2   3   1   4   5
Sweetney    33 12-24 0-0  3-6  11   0   3  27
Wilson      22   3-6 0-0  0-0   3   0   2   6
Reserves:
Freeman     10   0-1 0-0  0-0   2   1   2   0
Hall        27   1-3 0-2  4-5   2   3   0   6
Samnick     19   2-4 0-0  0-0   2   0   1   4
Owens       13   0-0 0-0  2-2   1   1   2   2
Cook        14   1-2 1-1  2-2   4   3   2   5
TOTALS     200 23-58 4-14 17-21 33 15  20  67

Here are links to post-game coverage.

Georgetown 87, Coastal Carolina 60 12/03/02

Michael Sweetney led all scorers as the Georgetown Hoyas took their fourth straight at the hands of an overmatched opponent, this time in a 87-60 win over Coastal Carolina.

The Chanticleers (2-3) played tough early, closing to four points at 21-17 and 25-21 midway through the first half. Foul trouble and turnovers began to do the Chants in, and a 20-4 Georgetown run at the half increased the halftime lead to a more comfortable 45-25.

The second half was more of the same--although the Hoyas were not crushing the Chanticleers, the Hoyas continued to consistently build the lead to as many as 34, 73-39, before reserves filled the final minutes of play. Holding the Hoyas back from an all-out rout were turnovers--16 of its 20 giveaways were in the final half. For their part, the Chanticleers posted 30 turnovers and gave up 20 steals to the Hoyas.

Statistically, the game showed a number of contrasts. Coastal had six more shot attempts than Georgetown and actually out-rebounded the Hoyas 40-28--it's the lowest rebounding effort for a Georgetown team since Dec. 8, 1998 versus Rutgers."

"I want to be able to rebound no matter who we put in the game," Coach Esherick told the Washington Post, "Right now, I'm not too happy with that."

Sweetney's 26 points led the Hoyas but only one other teammate was in double figures. By contrast, CCU's leading scorer Torrey Butler was held to eight points on 4-13 shooting and none of its starters made it to double figures. Reserve Kelvin Coggins led the Chants with 10 points.

Georgetown's dominance was apparent at the free throw line. The Hoyas added 24 points from the free throw line, the Chanticleers six.

Game stats:



           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT  REB  A  PF PTS
Starters:
Bowman    13   1-4   0-2 0-0   0   0   3    2
Bethel    26   3-7   0-1 2-4   4   3   1    8
Riley     19   3-9   3-4 2-3   1   1   3   11
Sweetney  26  7-11 12-15 0-0  10   2   1   26
Wilson    11   3-6   0-1 0-0   2   0   0    6
Reserves:
Freeman   20   1-3   2-2 0-0   3   1   2    4
Faulkner   2   0-0   0-0 0-0   0   0   1    0
Hall      22   3-4   0-0 1-1   3   4   1    7
Ross       5   0-1   0-0 0-0   0   0   1    0
Hillier    4   1-1   0-0 0-0   0   0   0    2
Samnick   16   3-4   0-0 0-0   0   1   2    6
Owens     17   1-1   4-4 0-0   1   2   1    6
Cook      17   3-3   3-4 0-0   0   2   0    9
Beal       2   0-1   0-0 0-0   0   0   0    0
Team Rebounds                  4
TOTALS   200 29-55 24-31 5-10 28  16  16   87

Here are links to post-game coverage.

Column: Big East Not Drawing Fans? 12/03/02

Columnist Phil Axelrod of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asks if the early scheduling patterns of Big East teams are contributing to a lack of national attention for the schools. Big East schools are 27-1 at home to date but 8-10 on road or neutral sites.

The article reports league attendance ranges from 18,874 (Syracuse) to 1,920 per game (Miami). Through the game Monday night (which drew 4,366), Georgetown is averaging 6,464 per game.

Georgetown 81, Towson 52 11/30/02

Gerald Riley scored 22 points as Georgetown overcame an inconsistent shooting effort to defeat Towson 81-52 before a holiday crowd of 6,107 at MCI Center.

Towson held an early 8-4 lead that was erased by a 13-0 Georgetown run early. However, the Hoyas only led by 14 at the half and did not mount the overwhelming run that many would expect against Towson, a team defeated by 51 in last year's meeting.

The Tigers certainly gave the Hoyas opportunities, thanks to 32 turnovers and 25 Georgetown steals. (The 25 steals was two short of the team record, set in 1999 versus Southern-New Orleans.) The Hoyas managed only 35% shooting and 27% three point shooting, however, keeping the score closer than expected. Forward Mike Sweetney had an off game, scoring only 10 points, and Wesley Wilson added only three points in 16 minutes of play.

Defensively, the Hoyas kept Towson scorers Brian Allen and Jamaal Gilchrist to 2 for 7 shooting and six points overall. Lawrence Hamm (10 points) was the only Tiger in double figures; he scored six of his ten points with back to back three pointers in the first two minutes of play.

Guard play continues to improve. Brandon Bowman and Tony Bethel combined for 26 points, while Drew Hall did the little things that will make him a valuable asset to the backcourt this year. Although he was 0-4 from the field, Hall dished nine assists and did not commit a turnover in 25 minutes of play.

Game stats:



           MIN  2FG  3FG  FT  REB   A   PF  PTS
Starters:
Bowman     22  4-10  2-6  1-1   2   0   1   11
Bethel     19  5-13  2-5  3-3   2   1   0   15
Riley      22   6-9  2-3  8-9   3   1   3   22
Sweetney   21  4-10  0-1  2-2   8   0   1   10
Wilson     16   1-4  0-0  1-4   8   0   0    3
Reserves:
Freeman    19   4-7  0-0  1-1   4   0   4    9
Faulkner    4   0-2  0-0  0-0   2   0   0    0
Hall       25   0-4  0-4  2-2   0   9   1    2
Ross        2   0-0  0-0  0-0   1   0   1    0
Samnick    19   1-6  0-0  4-8   7   0   4    6
Owens      15   0-1  0-1  2-2   3   1   1    2
Cook       16   0-4  0-2  1-2   1   2   2    1
Hillier    DNP
Beal       DNP
TOTALS         25-70 6-22 25-34 41  14  18  81

Here are links to post-game coverage.

Georgetown 80, James Madison 60 11/26/02

Gerald Riley scored a career high 23 points as the Georgetown Hoyas powered past James Madison 80-60 at MCI Center.

Much of the Hoyas' early scoring fell in the hands of Mike Sweetney, who scored ten straight points midway through the second half before sitting early with his second foul. The Dukes closed to ten, 34-24, but solid defense allowed the Hoyas to carry a 45-28 lead into halftime.

Georgetown pulled away early in the second half, thanks to Gerald Riley. Riley scored ten of the Hoyas' first 12 points to allow the Hoyas to open with a 12-4 run at 57-32 and the team never looked back. Georgetown led by as many as 30, 75-45, before play got sloppy and the Dukes narrowed the lead to 80-60 at game's end. Outside of Sweetney and Riley, who combined for 57 percent shooting and 44 points, the rest of team's play was uneven and it showed statistically, with 14 for 41 from the field (34 percent), 2 for 10 from three point range.

James Madison fared poorly on rebounding (picking up only five offensive rebounds) and in bench scoring (with only ten points coming from reserves). The Dukes had a slight edge in second half field goal percentage, but many of the shots came with the outcome already in hand.

"Getting Sweetney in foul trouble was one of the things we wanted to do," said JMU's Ian Caskill to the Harrisonburg Daily News Record. Caskill finished with a career high 20 points, but noted that "We got him out of the game [in the first half], but we couldn't really capitalize on it too much."

Game stats:



           MIN  2FG   3FG  FT   REB  A   PF  PTS
Starters:
Bowman      16   2-7  0-1  0-0    6   2   1    4
Bethel      29   2-7  1-4  2-3    4   3   0    7
Riley       24  8-13  4-4  3-4    3   6   3   23
Sweetney    20  9-17  0-0  3-7    9   0   3   21
Wilson      26   3-9  0-0  2-4    8   1   4    8
Reserves:
Freeman     10   1-1  0-0  0-0    1   0   4    2
Hall        24   0-1  0-1  2-2    3   5   2    2
Ross         4   0-2  0-1  0-0    0   0   0    0
Samnick     17   2-7  0-0  0-0    5   0   1    4
Owens       12   1-2  0-0  0-0    2   3   1    2
Cook        18   3-5  1-2  0-1    3   0   1    7
Hillier    DNP
Beal       DNP
TOTALS     200 31-71 6-14 12-21  44  20  20   80

Here are links to post-game coverage.

Diaw Redshirted 11/23/02

The Washington Times reported in Saturday's editions that freshman walk-on Amadou Kilkenny-Diaw will be redshirted and will not play this season.

Diaw, a 6-8 forward from St. Alban's School on Washington, averaged 11 points a game last season at St. Alban's. "He's allowed to basically warm up — that's the rule — but he can't play," Esherick told the Times.

Senior Trenton Hillier and freshman Ryan Beal are the remaining walk-ons on the 2002-03 squad. There is no word whether a third walk-on will replace Diaw on the roster.

HOYA Basketball Preview 11/12/02

The extensive HOYA basketball preview issue is available online. Once again, it has set a high standard for coverage that should be of interest to any Georgetown basketball fan. Here are links to the articles:

 

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