Well, that was fun. Georgetown rode hot shooting nights from Mac McClung and Jahvon Blair to decimate the SMU Mustangs 91-74. The Hoyas never trailed while shooting over 55% from the field, including 14 three-pointers.
Coming into the game, many wondered if SMU would struggle against their first high-major opponent of the season. In the early going, that certainly seemed to be the case, as the Hoyas took it to the Mustangs, opening up a 20-2 lead just seven minutes in. As many would expect, McClung was crucial in the Hoyas’ offensive success, knocking down his first two three-pointers to tally Georgetown’s first six points. McClung finished with 19 points and was 5 of 9 from beyond the arc overall.
Another element of Georgetown’s offensive efficiency was great ball movement. In the first half, the Hoyas were always looking to make the extra pass to find the open shooter, tallying 12 assists on 17 made field goals. Terrell Allen played a big role in this, dishing out five assists in the first half, and 10 overall, while not committing a single turnover.
While Allen took care of the basketball, the rest of the Hoyas struggled to do so in the first half, turning it over nine times. Georgetown did clean it up somewhat in the second half, committing just four turnovers. Still, coughing up the basketball has been a recurring problem for this team, and something that will need to be improved if the Hoyas are to be the best they can be.
For the Mustangs, a cold start from the field was not a recipe for success. SMU was just six of 30 shooting in the half, resulting in just 29 first-half points, the team’s lowest offensive output of any half so far this season. One positive for the Mustangs was their ability to get to the free throw line. Kendric Davis knocked down three foul shots to head to the locker room with SMU trailing Georgetown 49-29.
In need of a quick start to the second half, the Mustangs got exactly that. A pair of dunks and a Davis three-pointer cut the Hoyas’ lead to 15 less than four minutes into the half. Luckily for Georgetown, Jamorko Pickett had something to say about an SMU comeback. He rattled off five straight points including a smooth and-one at the rim to stretch the lead back to 20.
From that point on, it was the Jahvon Blair show. After knocking down three three-pointers in the first half, Blair followed it up with four more in the second to lead all scorers with 21 points, tying a career high.
Getting Blair going will hopefully provide a key three-point threat off the bench for Georgetown moving forward.
Coming into this two-game road-trip, there were a lot of doubts surrounding this Hoyas team. Going 2-0 against two previously undefeated opponents is nothing short of remarkable. What’s more exciting than the result is how convincing Georgetown looked in these two games. The team has really seemed to rally around each other, putting “we over me,” as Ewing has repeatedly mentioned. On the court, this has translated into unselfish basketball, most notably a willingness to share the basketball and find the open man.
Now, Georgetown returns home and has a week to prepare for perhaps the biggest game of the year, a home bout with Syracuse. As in any rivalry game, emotions will be running high. That being said, the focus needs to be on executing, just as the Hoyas have done over the course of these last two wins.
