Teams

Georgetown:
There were some very big positives but also some disturbing negatives about this game. Let’s start with the good stuff.

Georgetown continued its trend of working the boards, out-rebounding their opponent 43-30 and was also able to get out in transition. Also, the Hoyas played great defense, holding Butler to 31% shooting on the night, and containing last year’s Horizon Player of the Year Matt Howard, who had only nine points and went 1-9 from the field.

On the flip side, the Hoyas committed too many turnovers and seemed to take the foot off the gas pedal after taking a 17 point lead. They let Butler back in the game, and missed too many free throws down the stretch. For the way the Hoyas played in the first 30 minutes of the game, the ending was too close for my tastes.

Butler:
The Bulldogs struggled offensively, but showed some resilience as they clawed back into the game. But without any real production from Howard, it was an uphill battle. Had Julian Vaughn not gotten into foul trouble, I think the Bulldogs may not have been able to hang around as long as they did.

Players

Georgetown:
Greg Monroe impressed me, but not because of his 24 points and 15 rebounds; we all knew he could score. What surprised me was how he demanded the ball late in the game. He wanted the ball in his hands, and even when double teamed, he powered the ball to the basket for some points, or a foul. Monroe’s effort today was exactly what the Hoyas needed from him. If only he had made a few more of his free throws, it would have been a perfect performance.

Also, Austin Freeman made some big shots today, helping to extend the lead in second half. A few of his foul calls were light, I would have liked to see how many points he could have scored if he had gotten to play a little more.

Butler:
Gordon Hayward had 24 points of his own, picking up the pace for his struggling front court teammate. However, the Bulldogs dug themselves too deep of a hole, and the Hoyas did just enough to keep them at arms length, even in the final minutes.

Referees

The refereeing was particularly lopsided against the Hoyas in the second half. Part of the reason for Butler’s comeback was that the Bulldogs were in the double bonus before the Hoyas had gotten three calls in their favor. I am not making excuses for Georgetown, since the team has to learn to play through bad officiating, but it can be frustrating when it seems like all the calls are going against you. And for a good stretch of the second half, they were.

Number of the Game

20: Field goals attempted by Greg Monroe. That’s the most shots taken by one player under Coach Thompson since Jeff Green had 30 points on 21 attempts in the Big East semi-finals against Notre Dame in 2007. If Greg can follow in Jeff’s footsteps, that would not be a bad thing at all for the Hoyas.

Classic

The Hoyas now go to Anaheim to play the Washington Huskies. That will be the second game in a row in which the Hoyas face a ranked opponent at a neutral site in an event named after a former National Champion Coach. Well, I thought it was interesting.

Images via Washington Post and GUHoyas.com