The Georgetown Hoyas finally looked like the basketball team they have the potential to be. All it took was a COVID-19 hiatus that included four games being postponed for the Hoyas to turn things around. In their first game back since a January 9th loss at Syracuse, Georgetown defeated the Providence Friars 73-72.
After the game, Chudier Bile spoke to this, saying “having to get the games postponed and having to go into quarantine was really tough…We just came together. We had a team meeting a few days ago where we were able to just really hash stuff out and I feel like that showed today.”
Georgetown came out looking rusty, making it obvious that they hadn’t practiced much recently. Providence opened the game with a 10-0 run. Qudus Wahab, who’s birthday is today, didn’t start because Ewing wanted the size of Timothy Ighoefe.
When Wahab entered the game, he immediately scored and provided a boost to start the Hoyas comeback.
Despite the rough start, the Hoyas fared impressively well the rest of the first half. Shots started falling, and Chudier Bile provided a boost off the bench, with 7 points in the first half. Jamorko Pickett led first-half scoring for the Hoyas with 10 points while AJ Reeves dropped 22 points in the first half alone for Providence. Most importantly, Georgetown ended the first half with only 3 turnovers. Despite the Hoyas’ cold shooting, they somehow ended the half only trailing 42-38, showing lots of heart.
Georgetown came out of the locker room ready to play. The Hoyas scored the first five points of the second half, giving them their first lead of the game. As the half progressed, many different players stepped up. A large reason for this Georgetown victory was due to the contributions of everyone who played; the Hoyas had 28 bench points compared to the Friars’ 12. Despite coming off the bench, Bile led the Hoyas in scoring with 19 points.
After the game, Ewing spoke about Bile’s performance saying, “He was huge today. He was HUGE…I talked to him after the game, I said this [is] what I expected from you when I got you.” Pickett chipped in 12 points and Donald Carey rounded out those in double figures with 10 points of his own. Freshman point guard Dante Harris also had his best game in quite awhile, dishing out five assists to go along with nine points and five boards.
Don Carey brings the ball up the court during the Georgetown-Providence game on January 30, 2021 at McDonough Arena in Washington DC. Photo by Rafael Suanes/Georgetown Athletics. 
Jamorko Pickett drives through traffic during the Georgetown-Providence game on January 30, 2021 at McDonough Arena in Washington DC. Photo by Rafael Suanes/Georgetown Athletics. 
Dante Harris goes for the layup during the Georgetown-Providence game on January 30, 2021 at McDonough Arena in Washington DC. Photo by Rafael Suanes/Georgetown Athletics. 
Men’s Basketball vs Providence
For the Friars, today’s loss was a big momentum killer and a huge blow to their NCAA Tournament hopes. Providence struggled on the glass, as Georgetown out rebounded them 47-33. Their leading scorers, David Duke and Nate Watson, were noticeably quiet. Duke was held to just 2 of 11 shooting, not to mention the missed free throw that would’ve tied the game in the final seconds. The Friars were led by Reeves’s 28 points, but they sorely missed the contributions they usually get from Watson and Duke.
Georgetown has proved that they can hang with just about anyone, and the Hoyas were finally able to sustain this play long enough to earn a win. Most importantly, however, was how well they took care of the ball and spread out the scoring. With only seven turnovers and three players in double figures, the Hoyas not only showed growth, but also great potential for the future.
