Chants of “Let’s go Hoyas” echoed through Madison Square Garden. Patrick Ewing waved his arms, urging the Georgetown faithful on. An hour earlier, it would have been almost unthinkable. The Georgetown Hoyas had shrugged off a five point half-time deficit and put together a near-perfect second half to deliver a resounding 82-66 victory over the #22 ranked Texas Longhorns.
Slow starts have been a Georgetown staple this year. They certainly could not afford one Thursday night. Fortunately, Mac McClung came out firing, knocking down two early threes as Georgetown and Texas went back and forth in the early going. Despite once again not getting the start, Josh LeBlanc was also a major contributor on both ends of the floor, and even knocked down a rare three-pointer to give Georgetown a 25-23 lead with 7:30 to go in the half.
Texas responded resiliently, however, and utilized three pointers from Jase Febres and Matt Coleman III to take back the lead. Georgetown’s inability to guard the three-point line was on full display in the first half, as the Longhorns knocked down eight triples, including four from Coleman. He would finish the game a perfect six of six from deep, and led all scorers with 22 points.
With Texas taking a seven point lead, their largest of the game, with 30 seconds to go in the half, Ewing took a timeout. This proved critical, as Georgetown got a tip-in at the buzzer from Qudus Wahab and the Hoyas regained some momentum heading into the break.
After sitting much of the first half due to foul trouble, Omer Yurtseven seemed determined to make an impact after halftime. He was dominant in the opening minutes, exploiting Texas’ decision to not double down on the post and scoring the Hoyas’ first eight points of the second half.
Jamorko Pickett followed this up with a three pointer in rhythm to give the Hoyas a two-point lead with 15:03 to play.
Texas quickly took back the lead on a Gerald Liddell three-pointer, but it was then that Georgetown went a run of their own. The Hoyas utilized good ball movement and active hands on defense to score 12 consecutive points, breaking open the game and giving Georgetown a 10-point lead.
During this stretch, Yurtseven picked up his fourth foul, and was forced to return to the bench, but this did not phase Georgetown in the slightest. Wahab played with great composure in his stead, going up strong and drawing contact when he caught in the low post. Wahab finished with nine points, and also played a big role defensively, blocking 2 shots. Given the fact that Yurtseven played only 13 minutes, and eventually fouled out, it is encouraging that the Hoyas were able to find success with their leading scorer and rebounder on the bench.
While Georgetown had taken a double digit lead, Hoya fans know that this one was far from over. After getting in the bonus early in the second half, free throws played a crucial role in putting the game away. The Hoyas were 21 of 28 from the line, including 14 of 17 in the second half. This prevented a Texas comeback, as the closest the Longhorns got from this point on was nine points. A Mac McClung jumper to go up 17 with under three minutes to play all but ended it, and the celebration was on at the Garden.
Though McClung led the Hoyas with 19 points, it was Jamorko Pickett who stood out as an impact player. Pickett was able to create his own shot multiple times, and looked uncharacteristically smooth getting to the basket. He finished the game with 15 points on six of ten shooting, while also adding five rebounds. The emergence of Pickett as a real scoring threat has been a revelation for Georgetown so far this season.
However, above all the story of the night was Georgetown’s defense in the second half. The Hoyas were much better at contesting shots, limiting the Longhorns to 22% shooting and just three three-pointers.
Still, perhaps the biggest difference between the two halves defensively was Georgetown’s dominance on the glass. After being outrebounded 20-13 in the first, the Hoyas tallied 13 more boards than the Longhorns in the second half. Preventing second chance points (Texas only had 4 in the second half) played a big role in holding the Longhorns to 24 points in the second half. Where has that defensive intensity been all year?
Thursday’s second half was about as good a half as we’ve seen a Georgetown team play in a long time. Is it too much to expect it to continue? Probably. But the unselfish offensive play, fundamentally sound defense, and significant contributions from the team’s role players are all building blocks of winning culture.
What a night!!! Hoya Saxa, we’re back baby!
