Everybody loves talking about turning points. People are always trying to find the critical play, the decisive shot, or the game-changing block that turns the tide once and for all. Sometimes the moment is obvious; other times it is totally unnoticeable, like in Georgetown’s recent win over Providence. At the 15:51 mark of the second half, Weyinmi Efejuku made a three-pointer to give the Friars their largest lead of six. Eleven seconds later came the turning point.

Coach Thompson called a timeout, but that wasn’t the turning point – it was the players at the scorer’s table. With 15:40 left to play in a tough road game against a desperate team, Patrick Ewing Jr., Tyler Crawford, and Jeremiah Rivers all checked into the game. Everything was under control from then on for the Hoyas.

Less than 90 seconds after these subs came in, Ewing made a steal. 19 seconds after the steal, Crawford made a three-pointer to cut the lead in half. 30 seconds later, Ewing made another steal; 5 seconds after the steal he grabbed an offensive rebound; 12 seconds after the rebound, Crawford assisted on a three-pointer from Jon Wallace. Tie game.

The teams traded baskets and then Wallace made another three-pointer to put the Hoyas up by 3. The Hoyas were rolling. Ewing picked up an assist on another Wallace three-pointer, and then he grabbed a defensive rebound. Finally Rivers made a three-pointer to give the Hoyas their largest lead of the game at nine points. It was a very important 6:16 that saved the day for the Hoyas.

The bench production was even more impressive considering that the reserves made no impact in the game two days earlier. Georgetown scored zero bench points in the Carrier Dome; against Providence they scored 14. There aren’t many teams anywhere in the NCAA that can have two starters play only 4 minutes in the second half of a conference road game and still pull away as handily as the Hoyas did. At the timeout when Ewing, Crawford, and Rivers entered, Jessie Sapp and Austin Freeman were subbed out. Neither one returned to the game.

This is the portion of the season when players start getting a little fatigued. It’s pretty easy to see all around the country. Every team is in the process of getting their second wind before March. Slow starts and sluggish play are inevitable. The Big Three off the bench gave the Hoyas a much needed shot in the arm, and their impact against Providence might be the turning point for the season.