Hoyas Lose Heartbreaker to Xavier

Trailing the Xavier Musketeers by as many 11 points, Georgetown mounted a valiant comeback, tying the game with under a minute to play. Ultimately, it was one shot that made the difference, as Xavier’s Naji Marshall canned a step-back three with four seconds to play to send the Musketeers to a 66-63 victory.

While Sunday’s game featured fireworks at the end, it was an ugly affair for much of the afternoon. Eight minutes in, the Hoyas had scored just five points and found themselves in an early 16-5 hole. Xavier’s play was not a thing of beauty either. The Musketeers turned the ball over 12 times in the first half, though the Hoyas largely failed to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes.

In total, Sunday’s contest featured almost as many turnovers (43) as made field goals (45). Aren’t you glad this game was nationally televised on CBS?

Georgetown’s lack of depth was also tested in the first half. With four of the Hoyas’ five starters recording two fouls before halftime, Ewing was forced to roll with some unconventional lineups. At one point, walk-ons George Muresan and Jaden Robinson were both on the court along with inexperienced freshman center Timothy Ighoefe. The real surprise was how well this patchwork lineup performed. Buckets from both Robinson and Muresan kickstarted a 7-0 Hoyas run to cut Xavier’s lead to three with 6:15 to go until the break.

Ighoefe also impressed in 19 minutes of action. He led the Hoyas with seven boards and did a better job than Qudus Wahab in terms of covering Xavier’s Tyrique Jones. Ighoefe even came up clutch in some big moments. All four of Ighoefe’s points came in the last three minutes of the game, including the game-tying tip-in with 17 seconds to play.

While Georgetown had managed to gain some momentum, Marshall steadied Xavier with two buckets to send the Musketeers to the locker room with a 26-22 lead. For Georgetown, this was their lowest-scoring half of the season, largely due to the Hoyas shooting an abysmal 29% from the floor.

For most of the second half, Xavier was able to keep Georgetown at arm’s length. The Hoyas pulled within four multiple times, but the Musketeers were always able to regain control. Tyrique Jones played a big role in keeping his team on top. Much to the chagrin of the crowd inside Capital One Arena, Jones backed up his smack talk by dominating down low. For one four-minute stretch, Jones was a one-man wrecking crew, scoring all 12 of Xavier’s points to maintain a five point Musketeers lead with 4:05 to play. Jones finished the game with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and one technical foul.

Just as they have been doing all season, the Hoyas continued to fight. Despite not having his best stuff Sunday, Jamorko Pickett knocked down a big corner three with 2:14 to play to pull within three. Needing a defensive stand, it was a Jagan Mosely who stepped up, drawing a charge on Marshall to give the Hoyas back the ball. Georgetown did not squander the opportunity, as Jahvon Blair knocked down his fourth three-pointer to tie the game at 61. After struggling the last few games, Blair was once again the Hoyas’ offensive engine on Sunday, leading the way with 18 points.

Sensing the importance of the moment, Marshall took matters into his own hands, drawing a questionable foul call and converting both free throws to give Xavier back the lead with 42 seconds to play. Although Mosely missed a runner in the lane on the Hoyas’ subsequent possession, Ighoefe cleaned up the miss with a pretty tip-in to square the game once again, setting the stage for the game’s biggest possession.

For Xavier, there was no question who would take the shot. Naji Marshall has been the Musketeers unquestioned leader all season, and he already had 17 points on the afternoon. I could describe what happened next, but it’s perhaps better to watch for yourself.

From the moment the ball left Marshall’s hand, it was clear it would find the bottom of the net. Terrell Allen’s last-second effort to send the game to overtime bounced harmlessly off the rim, and the game was over.

In the game’s biggest moment, Marshall made it clear who was the best player on the floor. While 20 points and 10 rebounds is nice, it was Marshall’s ability to hit the big shot that set him apart.

At the end of the day, Georgetown doesn’t have a Naji Marshall, especially without Mac McClung and Omer Yurtseven. All the heart in the world was not enough to compensate. That has been the story of the past few months for the Hoyas, who fall to 5-11 in Big East play.

Sunday presented a prime opportunity to secure a home victory, not just for records sake, but also to give the team’s seniors something to feel good about. The Hoyas’ losing streak now sits at four games, and the road doesn’t get any easier, with two top-15 teams waiting next week.

But this team is not giving up. Just ask Jagan.