Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas showed they were able to grind out an ugly win in this game. After starting the first half 8-11 from the field, Georgetown would make just five of their next 19 shots and found themselves down two at the break. Not coincidentally, the offensive woes started right after Greg Monroe picked up his second foul and was forced to spend time on the bench.

Georgetown would trail by as many as eight early in the second, but the team never lost its cool. The Hoyas continued to methodically run their offense, and when they realized their outside shots were not falling – they were 3-11 on the night – they pounded the ball inside, Monroe and Julian Vaughn combining for 31 points. The Hoyas ended the game with 46 points in the paint due to the big men but also due to the backdoor cuts, as Providence’s defense gave the Hoyas ample opportunity to find the open man cutting to the basket.

Providence:
When I was looking over the numbers in the preview, I noticed that the Friars were averaging over 17 offensive rebounds a game, which sounded like a ton to me. But, after watching Providence play, it was not as surprising. It’s easy to get offensive rebounds when you miss all of your shots. The Friars were only 34.4% from the field, and 7-27 from beyond the arc. Missed long distance shots usually give up long rebounds, making it easier for the offense to retrieve them. That being said, the Friars still did a good job of getting inside position and put-backs, but if their offense is based primarily on rebounding their own misses, they will have a hard time winning games. In the end though, Providence biggest problem was that they were unable to stop the Hoyas from scoring. Even if the Friars had made some more shots, I doubt it would have changed the final result.

Players

Georgetown:
Greg Monroe had foul trouble in the first half, and as a result didn’t have much impact. The second half was a different story. Monroe carved up the Friar’s defense, consistently finding open teammates for easy looks, most often for layups. He ended the game with 12 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds, and in my mind could have had a triple-double if he had just held on to a few more rebounds instead of tipping them out of bounds or to the opposition. Even still, it was an offensive exhibition put on by #10.

Julian Vaughn also had a great game, scoring a career-high 19 points. When he is scoring inside, it causes huge problems for defenses, since teams cannot double team both him and Monroe.

Providence:
Jamine Peterson had seven rebounds and a game-high 23 points, and his three-pointer off the backboard gave his side a seven point lead. But, he was only 8-20 from the field and 4-9 from the free throw line. Providence as a team was 21-33 from the stripe; hitting a few more free throws would have made the game much more interesting.

Coaches

Greg Monroe was whistled for his second foul with 12 and a half minutes remaining the the first. Coach Thompson sat him down, but would bring Greg back in later in half when the offense was faltering. It was a risky move, but it did not end up hurting the Hoyas.

There was a moment of tension when Sharaud Curry drove to the basket and collided with Monroe near the hoop with only three seconds remaining in the half. Curry was whistled for the charge, but many Georgetown fans held their breath, as that call could have changed the complexion of the game. The decision to leave Monroe in the game was a risk, but Coach obviously trusts his team to play smart, and it ended up paying off.

Number of the Game

6: Minutes without a field goal for the Friars. Providence went five minutes and fifty two seconds between made baskets, during with time the Hoyas went on a 14-1 run. From that point on, the Hoyas would never relinquish the lead.