Today marks the second meeting of the season between the Georgetown Hoyas and the Providence Friars.
After a loss to Butler this past Saturday, Georgetown (15-10, 6-8 Big East) hopes to regain momentum as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. On Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Micah Peavy clocked 40 minutes with a 21 point & 10 assist double-double while Thomas Sorber exited late in the first half with a lower-body injury. Pierre Brooks II exploded for 30 points as Butler dropped 97 points on one of the best Big East defenses this season. Despite scoring 86, the Hoyas continued to struggle with their offensive efficiency, shooting 23.7% (9/38) from deep and 73.3% (11/15) from the stripe.
Since January 7th, the Hoyas have recorded 3 wins and 8 defeats in Big East play. Days after a close defeat to #10 St. John’s, the Hoyas lost at home to a winless DePaul team. If Georgetown wants to make a run in the conference tournament and have a shot at the NCAA tournament, a win against Providence is imperative.
Kim English and the Providence Friars (12-14, 6-9 Big East) come into the nation’s capital hoping to complete the season sweep on the Hoyas and start a winning streak. After a three-game losing skid vs Creighton, at Butler, and vs Xavier, the Friars most recently thumped Villanova at home. Jayden Pierre led the Friars with 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Freshman Ryan Mela provided 32 minutes off the bench and recorded 12 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.
In the last meeting between these two teams, the Friars came out on top 78-68 with five of their players reaching a double-digit point total, while Thomas Sorber and Micah Peavy combined for over 50 points. The Hoyas jumped out to a 12 point lead in that matchup, before going cold offensively and letting the Friars take over the second half. If Sorber is unavailable for tonight’s game (Gametime Decision, turf toe), Georgetown will have to heavily rely on other pieces for offensive output. Additionally, Caleb Williams is in concussion protocol and being treated day to day. In Saturday’s Butler game, Mack and Epps combined for 18 attempted three-point shots, and we can likely expect a similar offensive style should Sorber be sidelined.
Recently, the Friars have been dealing with some injury trouble. Corey Floyd Jr. and Wesley Cardet Jr. are listed as questionable for Wednesday night’s matchup, and Jabri Abdur-Rahim is out for the season with a torn meniscus. Besides Julius Halaifonua, the only other Hoyas that could be sidelined are Sorber and Caleb Williams, if he is unable to clear protocol in time for tip-off.
If 7-time Big East Freshman of the Week Thomas Sorber is fit to play, he could cause problems for fellow Freshman Oswin Erhunmwunse, who has committed 18 fouls over the last four games and is looking to foul out for the third game in a row.
The Hoyas are a 2.5-point favorite against the Friars in what will be an action-filled game. Arguably one of Georgetown’s toughest hurdles this decade has been maintaining the excitement of the fanbase and attendance at home games. If the #PackTheCap movement holds, the Friars may have to dig deep to overcome the home court advantage.
