Teams

Georgetown:
Maybe this is why they don’t usually play games at 4PM. The Hoyas shot poorly in the first half, but more disappointing was the lack of offensive fluidity. When a team ends a game with only seven assists, it’s usually a sign that either the ball movement was not good or the team was missing shots. For the Hoyas, it was both. But, they found a way to win, and they deserve credit for that.

Temple:
The Owls shot worse than the Hoyas did in the first, 19%, but they were able to hang around, down only six at halftime. After the Hoyas stretched out to a 12 point lead early in the second, it looked as if Georgetown might pull away, but Temple fought back and took the lead. However, they missed key free throws at the end of the game that would have padded their thin lead, going 1-5 in the last four minutes of the game, which opened the door for the Hoyas to steal a win.

Players

Georgetown:
Greg Monroe is the clear choice. He had 11 points and nine rebounds, but more important than his numbers was the timeliness of his baskets. With the team down six and in danger of letting the game slip away, Monroe converted a three-point play. After the Hoyas squandered a pair of chances to take the lead with under two minutes to go and with only one chance left, Monroe drove to the hoop for a game-winning layup with six seconds remaining. And he sealed the win by helping to win a jump ball on Temple’s ensuing possession, and then help on to the in-bounds pass and got fouled to seal the win. A clutch performance for the big fella.

Temple:
Lavoy Allen had eight of Temple’s points during the 19-4 run in the second half to take the lead, and he grabbed 14 rebounds, including eight offensive, to provide his team with second chance opportunities. But he missed a couple of free throws as the game was winding down, and couldn’t help lead his team to victory.

Fans

With this game scheduled for 4 PM on a Tuesday, I was expecting a pretty small crowd. I was surprised to see a fair amount of people there, and the arena got very loud as the game got into the final minutes, with people on their feet for every possession. It felt like a game in February, not November. Good work from the Verizon Center faithful.

Number of the Game

41: Three point attempts by both teams. The teams only made six of those attempts, meaning Georgetown and Temple shot a combined 14.6% from beyond the arc. I know it’s early in the season, but those are horrible numbers.

ESPN

For those of you who don’t know, the odd start time was part of ESPN’s 24 Hours of Basketball, where ESPN showed college basketball for the entire day. It’s not often the Hoyas play afternoon games on a work day, so I brought a sign to commemorate the moment. Apparently, someone in Bristol, CT liked the sentiment.