With James Akinjo gone, the stage was set for Mac McClung to break out. He did exactly that.
McClung tallied 33 points as Georgetown put together a complete performance in an 81-74 upset of the previously undefeated Oklahoma State Cowboys (unranked in the AP Poll, but ranked #25 in the Coaches Poll). Omer Yurtseven and Terrell Allen also finished in double digits as the Hoyas survived a barrage of three-pointers from Oklahoma State.
In the wake of this week’s news, it would be easy for the Hoyas to be mentally checked out and not show up against Oklahoma State. Credit to Coach Ewing for having the team ready to play, as they seemed to be locked in from the opening tip. McClung took charge early on, leading the way with 15 first-half points on six of 12 shooting. Still, it was not a one-man show, as good ball movement helped Georgetown find open shooters, with seven Hoyas making their mark on the score sheet before halftime.
As for Oklahoma State, the Cowboys relied on the three-point shot in the early going. Each of their first five buckets came from beyond the arc. However, their over-reliance on the three-point shot was likely not what Coach Mike Boynton wanted, as the Cowboys attempted 18 threes in the first half alone. Turnovers were also a big problem for Oklahoma State, as they coughed the ball up nine times in the first half. This allowed the Hoyas to open up a 26-17 lead with just under nine minutes to play until the break.
Towards the end of the half, the Cowboys began to settle in. They closed the half on a 9-4 run, capped off by a Cameron McGriff three-pointer to pull within four headed into the break. McGriff finished with 20 points on the night, shooting seven of eight from the floor.
After scoring just six points in the first half, Omer Yurtseven needed to heat up after the break. He did just that, scoring eight points in the first six minutes after the break.
However, a couple of Georgetown turnovers turned into points for the Cowboys on the other end, as they reversed momentum and took a five-point lead with 12:06 to play. This was dangerous territory for the Hoyas. They had looked good for 25 minutes, but it appeared as if the game was on the verge of slipping away.
Then Mac McClung happened. Three straight three-pointers swung the scales back towards the Hoyas.
Yurtseven and Allen even got in on the action, each knocking down a three of their own to open up a seven-point Georgetown lead with just over five minutes to play.
The game was far from over. Lindy Waters III, who finished with 29 points on the night, attempted to will Oklahoma State back. Luckily, the Hoyas were rock solid from the free-throw line, making all 14 attempts on the evening. A nasty step-back three from Allen with 38 seconds to play put Georgetown up eight and all but sealed it.
Though McClung was surely the hero of the night, this was also a coming out party for Terrell Allen. Getting his first start of the year, Allen finally looked like the player Hoya fans had expected him to be. In addition to his 15 points, Allen led the Hoyas with five assists, and was active on the defensive end, as usual. Perhaps most importantly, he scored the team’s last seven points to seal the deal for Georgetown. Allen’s penetrate-and-kick style seemed to mesh nicely with Mac’s game, something that bodes well for the future.
In the team’s first outing following the week’s crazy events, the Hoyas looked much better than anyone could have anticipated. Beating a team of Oklahoma State’s caliber is impressive under any circumstances, and even more so given the off-the-court distractions. Ewing must have done a great job getting the team focused, but the majority of the credit goes to the players for putting distractions aside and delivering 40-minutes of quality basketball.
Is it too early to assume that this is the Georgetown team we will see for the rest of the season? Almost certainly. That being said, I do feel a lot better than I did heading into tonight’s game. Whatever the future holds, this is a great win. Why not celebrate a little?
