Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas ran the risk of losing to Syracuse for the third time this season, but thanks to a solid 40 minutes, Georgetown defeated its most bitter rival for the convincing win. For most of the game, it looked like the Hoyas were in trouble. Every time Georgetown tried to put together an offensive surge, the Orange responded. Georgetown trailed by nine in the first half, but clawed back to make it three at the half. They fell behind again by nine in the second half, and at that point it really looked as though Syracuse would complete the sweep.

From that point, the Hoyas locked in and displayed a toughness that has been absent all season. There have been stretches when the Hoyas have played very well this season, but when the Hoyas play well, everything just keeps on rolling. Even in the games against Connecticut and Syracuse at Verizon Center, it was an amazing wave of emotion and momentum that turned those games around. For the first time all year, the players managed to reverse their fortunes through toughness and determination.

Georgetown put together a methodical and deliberate 22-4 run to go from down 9 with 13:44 left in the game to up 9 with 7:26 left. The Orange battled back to close the lead to two with 4:00 to play, but the Hoyas scored the next five points to stifle the final run from the ‘Cuse. This was the most courageous performance from a Georgetown team since the 2007 Eastern Regional Final against North Carolina.

Syracuse:
No one can deny the talent of the Syracuse players. Wes Johnson rightly won the Big East Player of the Year, and if the award had gone to Andy Rautins, nobody would have argued (even Johnson himself). Talent only takes you so far in March though. Teams that cut down nets have toughness and focus. I think that Syracuse has toughness, but it was not on display against the Hoyas.

The Hoyas played well, but for Syracuse there was something missing. Statistically, the Hoyas numbers were not all that good – 33% from three-point range, and 68% from the line. That might be worrisome to the Orange, that a solid team like Georgetown can beat them in a critical game without doing anything extraordinary. Syracuse will now enter the NCAA Tournament on a two game losing streak, and Coach Boeheim needs to get his players re-focused quickly.

Players

Georgetown:
Chris Wright had a huge game on Wednesday against South Florida, and he did it again against Syracuse – 27 points, six rebounds, six assists, 39 minutes. Besides his scoring, he helped control the game. The Hoyas were efficient and dominating down the stretch in the second half. Wright was the reason why.

Even in the final minutes when the Hoyas were on the verge of letting their lead slip away, Wright managed the Syracuse full court pressure very well and helped the Hoyas close out the game. Austin Freeman has been unable to find the range from downtown, and Greg Monroe only took eight shots against Syracuse. Wright more than compensated for his teammates, putting together a stellar all-around performance.

Syracuse:
Wesley Johnson and Andy Rautins led the way for the Orange. Johnson scored 24 points and collected seven rebounds. Rautins posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists. But during the critical stretch when the Hoyas turned the game around, neither one came to the aid of their teammates.

Rautins made a three-pointer to put Syracuse up by 9 with under 13 minutes to play. Th were his last points of the game. From that point he was 0-2 from the field (both three point attempts), had two turnovers and committed a foul leading to two points for the Hoyas. Rautins did stay active by adding three assists down the stretch, including his 10th assist on a Scoop Jardine basket with 6 seconds to play. In key moments, key players need to take charge. Johnson and Rautins did not.

Number of the Game

69.2: Georgetown’s field goal percentage in the second half. It’s one thing to be hot at home (like against Villanova and Duke), but for the Hoyas to play in a Big East Tournament game, against one of the best teams in the country, and pick apart the much-heralded 2-3 Syracuse zone, is remarkable.

New School

Since 1996, when Rutgers, West Virginia, and Notre Dame all joined the Big East, at least two of the original nine Big East teams have make it to the semifinals of the Big East Tournament. This season, for the first time, only one of the original nine made the final four at Madison Square Garden – the Georgetown Hoyas.