Teams

GU:
Not too great a performance for the Hoyas, especially in the 2nd half, but a win is a win. A lot of those shots will fall in a different game, so I think the bigger issue is the free throw shooting. The Hoyas went 8 for 17 from the line and are only hitting 55% of their free throws on the season. That’s something that definitely needs to be worked on before they reach the tough conference schedule.

BSU:
For being a team with only eight players, none of whom taller than 6-4, matching up with the #5 team in the nation, Ball State did phenomenally well. They hung tough until the end, and they gave the Hoyas their first real scare of the season. It makes one wonder how different this game would have been if the Cardinals had been able to play with their leading scorer Anthony Newell, who got injured this week in practice.

Players

GU:
Jessie Sapp once again showed that he is one of the key leaders of this team. His 11 points were second best for the Hoyas, and he led the team with three 3’s, four assists, and two steals. The second steal was critical as it ensured victory for the boys in Blue, putting Georgetown in possession of the ball, up six, with less than a minute to go.

BSU:
While Peyton Stovall had a good game, leading all scorers with 16, most of those points came in the first half, where he had 12 of the Cardinals’ 18. The key player for BSU in this game was Laron Frazier whose six points couldn’t have come at a better time for Ball State. Just as the Hoyas were threatening to pull away, Frazier responded with two quick 3’s that sparked the Cardinals’ offense and kept them in it for the rest of the game.

Coaches

Most of the hype built around this game was revolving around the two coaches and Ronny Thompson. Once in game, that all went away, and Billy Taylor put on an impressive show, keeping his players prepared and focused. I doubt John Thompson was pleased with the way that game turned out, but his Hoyas did manage to eek out a close victory, and perhaps being in a pressure situation this early in the season can help the Hoyas down the road. At least, he’ll have something to talk about in practice.

Referees

I didn’t find any major problem with the refs, and on Wednesday, the players decided the game, as it should be. It’s always tough for refs to deal with home crowds, and in an intimate environment like there was in Muncie, I thought they did a good job not letting emotions get in the way of calling the game.

Fans

4,381 fans made it out to Worthen Arena which was a fairly impressive number due to the fact that students had already been kicked out of the dorms for Thanksgiving. They were not too hostile towards the Hoyas, which was refreshing seeing that there had been a lot of talk of how they would treat their former coach’s brother and his team. And the crowd was very loud and active supporting their team as they were cutting into the Hoyas’ lead in the second half, definitely being a factor by urging their team on.

Number of the Game

3: The number of points Jonathan Wallace put up against BSU, his lowest point total since scoring two at Villanova last February. Last year, Coach talked about how when Jeff does well, the team does well, and when Jeff struggles, the team struggles. I think the same can be said about Jon Wallace this season. In Muncie, Roy got his points, but the team still struggled, and a lot of that can be attributed to Little Buddy’s poor showing. I am not blaming Wallace for the poor play, but he is the key to this team’s success, so it makes it that much harder for the Hoyas when Jon has having an off-night.

The First Cut Is the Deepest

The Hoyas’ next game is against Old Dominion, who handed Georgetown their first loss of the season last year. This time, the game is at Old Dominion, as opposed to the friendly confines of McDonough Gymnasium, so the Hoyas need to be prepared to avoid a repeat letdown. Hopefully this close call against Ball State will help the Hoyas remain focused for weeks to come.