Deonta Vaughn had a game-high 30 points, as he single-handedly kept Cincinnati in the game. He scored 22 of the Bearcats’ final 24 points, spanning the last 11 minutes of the game, but he could not prevent defeat for his side. Sam Young led the Panthers with 21 points, and Keith Benjamin and Ronald Ramon added 15 points and 12 points, respectively.

Cincinnati’s season comes to an end, as a record of 13-18 is far below the standards of the NCAA or NIT Tournaments. Pittsburgh moves forward to take on the Louisville Cardinals. In their last meeting, Louisville squeaked past the Panthers 75-73. Their rematch is scheduled for 7:00 PM tomorrow.

Teams

Georgetown:
This game was just what the doctor ordered for Georgetown. After four closely contested games, the Hoyas had a relatively easy time with the Bearcats. It looked as though it might be another nail-biter, as Cincinnati cut the Georgetown’s lead to five a minute into the second half, but then the Hoyas pulled away thanks to a 16-4 run and coasted to a 20 point victory. With every game of maximal importance in the race for the Big East title, the Hoyas surely enjoyed the stress-free victory.

Cincinnati:
Cincinnati’s loss drops the Bearcats to 8-6 in conference play, as they fight with West Virginia, Marquette, and Pittsburgh for the fifth spot in the conference tournament and strong case for an at-large bid. The Bearcats had a few good stretches including a run that turned a 14 point deficit into a more manageable seven point one half time, but in the end they were outplayed by a superior team.

Players

Georgetown:
Austin Freeman had been struggling recently, scoring only 10 points in his last three games. He exceeded that sum in this one, putting up 13 points. He jump started the Hoyas offense early on, scoring five quick points and assisting on a Summers hoop. He was also perfect from the free throw line and finished on a number of tough layups. If he can continue to score like he did earlier in the season, Georgetown’s chances for post-season success increase dramatically.

Cincinnati:
Deonta Vaughn is averaging over 17 points a game, and he showed his scoring ability in the final portion of the first half, scoring seven points in a minute, including back to back three pointers to cut the Georgetown lead from 14 to seven. However, credit the Hoyas defense, as apart from that one stretch, Vaughn was only 2-10 from the field. His teammates were unable to pick up the pace, and the Bearcats wound up being outscored by 20.

Referees

It seemed as though the referees kept getting worse as the game wore on, perhaps fatigue playing a part. The half ended on a Cincinnati basket that appeared to be a shot clock violation but was allowed to stand. In the second half, it seemed like there was a whistle on every possession, and even well after the game was decided and both teams were ready to call it a day, the refs continued to make calls.

Fans

Another good crowd at Verizon Center, as over 17,000 came out to see the Hoyas remain perfect on their home floor. They perhaps got their loudest after Jeremiah Rivers had a thunderous two-handed throw-down off a steal.

Number of the Game

70: Percentage the Hoyas shot from inside the arc. Georgetown went 14-20 on two-point attempts on the day, with 24 of those points coming in the paint.

Scoreboard Woes

Clock problems at Verizon Center have been a recurring theme this year, with perhaps the culmination coming in this game. The clock did not start on numerous occasions, which added to the slow pace of the game. Even on the final possession the clock did not start, prompting both coaches to yell at the scorers’ table. So, next time you hear the fans chanting “score-board!” at a home game, it might have nothing to do with the score.

Early in the game, Georgetown put together a 10-0 run behind five points from Austin Freeman. Effecient offense throughout the first helped the Hoyas extend to a 14 point lead, before Cincinnati’s Deonta Vaughn scored seven straight points to cut the lead to seven at the half.

After the break, Georgetown methodically pulled away as their offense continued to be sharp and the defense smothered the Bearcats, holding Cincinnati to 33.3% from the field in the second half. The game did not have much of a flow, as the officials called 48 fouls. Georgetown made the most of the close officiating, converting 27-35 free throws (77.1%). Coming into the game, Georgetown only averaged 64.8% from the line. The 20 point margin of victory was the largest for the Hoyas since their win at St. John’s on January 30, when Georgetown won by 32.

The Hoyas remain at home this Wednesday to host the Red Storm at 9:00 PM.

After splitting two games this weekend, the Hoyas are tied in the loss column of the Big East standings with Louisville, Connecticut, and Notre Dame. Every game is important as we come down the stretch of the conference season, so we’ll have to see what the Boys in Gray have to offer us this afternoon.

I’ll be back with the starting lineups and officials in a few. In the meantime, keep your thoughts coming in the comments.

Yesterday, Tony talked about the role the bench played in the win over Providence. We think they will play another key role in this Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

How many points will the bench score, and who will lead the scoring?

We say the bench will have 18 points, with Patrick Ewing getting eight of those. What are your guesses? Leave a comment.