Pop the champagne! Your Georgetown Hoyas are the 2021 Big East Tournament champions, winning their first conference title since 2007.
Everything went the Hoyas’ way on Saturday night, as they cruised to a 73-48 victory over Creighton. Chudier Bile led the way with 19 points, and Jahvon Blair followed close behind with 18 points of his own as four Hoyas scored in double figures. Qudus Wahab collected a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and both he and Blair were named to the All-Tournament Team. Dante Harris scored 10 points and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. “I give the Most Valuable Player to the team, because I couldn’t have done it without them,” Harris said after the victory.
Next stop, Indianapolis. Thanks to tonight’s victory, Georgetown secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It will be the Hoyas’ first appearance in the Big Dance since 2015.
In the early going, it certainly looked like the big game jitters were getting to Georgetown. The Hoyas struggled from the field in the opening minutes, going over four minutes without a field goal to start the game. With Georgetown struggling to score, Creighton jumped out to a narrow lead. Patrick Ewing was finally forced to call a timeout with 12:33 remaining in the first half after several defensive lapses allowed back-to-back easy transition buckets for Creighton, giving them a 13-6 lead.
Coming out of the timeout, Georgetown finally got things going. Dante Harris once again proved to be a spark plug for the Hoyas, fueling a 7-0 Georgetown run to tie the game at 13 apiece. Minutes later, Donald Carey splashed an NBA-range three pointer to give the Hoyas their first lead of the game with just over seven minutes until halftime.
For the final five and a half minutes of the first half, it was all Georgetown. In fact, the Hoyas ended the half on a 18-0 scoring run. Yes, you read that right. 18-0! Blair came up huge for Georgetown, knocking down four first-half three pointers and converting several difficult finishes around the rim.
Creighton simply had no answer to the Georgetown onslaught. The Bluejays went ice cold from the field, missing 11 consecutive field goal attempts. The Hoyas’ defense was everywhere, swarming the ball and forcing eight first-half turnovers. After the game, Ewing spoke about the team’s defensive improvements: “For the better part of the year, I’ve been kicking myself saying, ‘What the hell am I not doing right?’ But we picked the right time to get it done.” Georgetown also won the battle on the boards, out-rebounding Creighton 28-19 before the break and 49-33 overall. With the Hoyas’ outplaying the Bluejays in virtually every aspect of the game, Georgetown took a commanding 36-18 lead into the locker room.
Coming out of the break, Georgetown kept their foot on the gas pedal. Chudier Bile hit several jumpers, including two three pointers, to pace the Hoyas’ offense. Twelve of Bile’s game-high 19 points came after halftime.
Creighton, on the other hand, continued to struggle to make a shot. After Marcus Zegarowski opened the half with a mid-range jumper, the Bluejays went another five minutes without a made field goal. On the night, Creighton shot just 28.8% from the field and 26.5% from three-point range. “We shoot a lot of three-point shots, and tonight obviously we didn’t shoot it well,” Coach Greg McDermott said after the loss. Zegarowski, an All-Big East First Team selection this year, was a lone bright spot for the Bluejays, scoring 17 points on an efficient 7 of 8 shooting.
Just over five minutes into the half, Georgetown had expanded their lead to 30 points. Creighton never truly made it a game; the closest the Bluejays got was within 25 points in the final minutes. Much of the second half was nothing more than a formality, and the celebration was on for the Hoyas!
I’m truly speechless.
Georgetown’s run to the Big East Tournament final was nothing short of remarkable, and to cap it off in such dominant fashion is the cherry on top. With this improbable run, the Hoyas have notched a record eighth Big East Championship, surpassing UConn.
There’s been a lot of lean times for Georgetown fans these last couple of years. As a result, this banner means so much more for the program and for the entire Georgetown fanbase. Patrick Ewing put it best: “Hoya nation, stand up and be proud.”
Now let’s sit back and enjoy Selection Sunday. With the way Patrick Ewing has his squad playing, Georgetown should strike fear into any team unlucky enough to draw the Hoyas in the first round of the tournament. “I’m ready to continue to make noise, continue to put our mark on the map,” Dante Harris said after the victory,. “Let’s go win another championship.”
