Teams

Georgetown:
This Georgetown team has a perimeter-oriented offense, which means the Hoyas will live by the three or die by the three. They pretty much did both against Missouri. The Hoyas were only 3-12 on three-point attempts in the second half before Chris Wright hit the clutch three-pointer with under a second to go to force the game into overtime. Then, with Missouri disheartened and Georgetown rejuvenated, Jason Clark hit back-to-back-to-back threes to push the Hoyas to victory.

Looking at the game as a whole, there were both positive and disturbing signs. The Hoyas took an 18 point lead midway through the first half only to let that lead almost entirely disappear before the break. But, when the Hoyas fell behind late in the game, they hung around waiting for an opportunity, and when it came, they took it.

One other point of concern was Georgetown’s ability to handle Missouri’s defensive pressure. The Hoyas committed 18 turnovers on the night, and made some lazy cross-court passes that were destined to be picked off by the pressing Tigers. But, on a positive note, Georgetown continues to rebound well, winning the rebounding battle 36-25. The Hoyas showed they still have some things to work on, but they have the potential to be a great team.

Missouri:
The Tigers play a fast-tempo game, pressing often and using a high-pressure defense to force turnovers and get transition hoops. They overcame a large first half deficit because of it and eventually took a five point lead with under five minutes to go in the game. However, Missouri could not close out the win, missing free throws down the stretch which allowed the Hoyas to tie the game and force overtime. Once there, it seemed like the Tigers were out of gas, and Georgetown had a fairly easy time in claiming the victory.

Players

Georgetown:
It’s hard to pick one Georgetown player who stuck out this game, as really everyone provided key plays. Austin Freeman led all scorers with 31 points, including 19 in the first half. Chris Wright had a double-double, with 21 points and 10 assists and made the shot that pushed the game to overtime. Jason Clark was on fire in the extra session, outscoring Missouri all by himself with his three three’s. But also, Vee Sanford was 3-4, making key buckets to keep the Hoyas in the game in the second half. Henry Sims and Nate Lubick fought for every rebound and loose ball. It was really a team effort, which I think is the main reason the Hoyas are still undefeated this season.

Missouri
Marcus Denmon had a great game, scoring 27 points on 10-12 shooting, including 5-7 from beyond the arc with all of his threes coming in the first half as the Tigers cut into the Hoyas’ lead. Also, his fast break basket put Missouri up by four with 43 seconds to play, but he and his side could not hold on for the win.

Referees

My biggest complaint with referees is consistency. I don’t mind if they call every touch foul, or if they allow play to go on unless there’s blood on the court, but I do require that they call the game the same for both teams, and the same way the whole game. I feel like that was not the case in this game. Anytime a team presses, there’s bound to be some fouling going on. If the referees want to allow that to happen, it will certainly benefit the pressing team, but I’m fine with it. But then, they cannot turn around and call touch fouls on the other end. I felt the refs did not do a good job on the consistency front in this game.

Number of the Game

18: Number of free throws attempted by Georgetown, also the number of free throws made. The Hoyas were perfect from the line in their best performance from the stripe in over 30 years ever. In a closely contested game, every point is critical. The Hoyas took full advantage of their trips to the sin stripe, making all 18 attempts. Missouri on the other hand went 23-31, which is a solid 74%, but the Tigers missed three out of four critical free throws down the stretch that would have iced the game. They left the door open for the Hoyas, and the Hoyas walked through it, forcing overtime and eventually getting the win.

The Battle of the Benches

A big deal was made during the ESPNU coverage about Missouri’s style of play – “The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball,” in reference to their uptempo game. The Tigers pride themselves on the depth of their bench, a necessary component for a team that runs as much as they do. However, against the Hoyas, it was the Georgetown bench that was more impressive. Georgetown’s subs played 75 minutes and scored 24 points, compared to just 40 23 minutes and 15 points from the Missouri bench. While the Hoyas rely heavily on Freeman, Wright, and Clark, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the other Georgetown players are able to produce as well.

[Image via Rich Sugg of KansasCity.com]