Frustration is the perfect word to describe the feeling after this game.
The Hoyas turned in a masterful performance on the defensive end today. Outside of Eric Paschall and Collin Gillespie, no one on the Wildcats established rhythm on the offense throughout the game. The problem for the top-ranked offense in the Big East was their ability (or lack thereof) to score.
Star center Jessie Govan turned in his worst performance during his time playing for Patrick Ewing today. Govan put up a goose egg for the Hoyas, unable to record a single point as he went 0-9 from the field and fouled out late in the second half. Govanseemingly spent more time on the bench than on the court today.
Freshman phenom Mac McClung continued to struggle from the field as he shot 2-11 from the field and only scored 4 points. McClung’s offensive efficiency still heavily relies on his accuracy from deep where he failed to connect once today (0-5). With two of Georgetown’s three top offensive weapons combining for four points, you would assume the Hoyas would be in trouble.
But Ewing’s squad anchored down on defense and frustrated the Wildcats most of the game. James Akinjo played a fantastic game on both ends, pumping in 19 points on 7-16 shooting and zero, I repeat ZERO, turnovers. James also gave Phil Booth all kind of fits when playing defense. Ewing’s young point guard was one of the lone bright spots for Georgetown today.
Trey Mourning did a serviceable job filling in for Jessie today as he added 12 points on 5-9 shooting along with hauling in 6 rebounds. However, as Hoya fans very well know, Trey at his best is certainly no Jessie.
However, the fact that Georgetown had this game tied at 53 with under 7 minutes to play without Govan or McClung playing well on offense is a minor miracle. Then Jay Wright’s crew tightened up on defense to bring the Hoyas to their knees with a devastating 16-2 run. Georgetown simply just could not score down the stretch, a problem they really have not had most of this season.
Gillespie was the hero for Villanova today without a doubt. He rained threes on the Hoyas from start to finish, draining 6-11 from deep on his way to a game-high of 30 points. Eric Paschalladded 24 points of his own, but Georgetown did a good job of limiting him from the outside as he only hit one three-pointer.
What makes this game excruciating is that it was a brutal missed opportunity. The Hoyas’ strength of schedule and early inconsistencies have left Ewing’s team with very little room for error. If either Govan or McClung played a normal game by their standards, Georgetown walks away with a win.
The key moving forward is for Pat to get Jessie right in the head after this performance. Govan cannot dwell on this and let this performance weigh him down for the rest of Big East play. If Govan’s struggles continue, this season is over. Hoya fans began to take Jessie’s dominance for granted, and now we are all painfully realizing that he is, in fact, human.
All in all, brutal loss. Don’t dwell on it; learn from it. We’re onto Providence. #RollHoyas
