Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas overcame a nine point first half deficit to defeat Marquette 69-60 for their eighth straight conference win. Throughout this win streak, Georgetown has found a variety of ways to win, and in this game they found another, using defense and rebounding to limit Marquette’s opportunities, since the outside shots were not falling. The Hoyas started the game 0-7 on three pointers and were just 26% on threes for the game.

The poor shooting, combined with poor first half rebounding translated to Georgetown trailing 35-31 at the break. But, the Hoyas made key adjustments coming out of halftime, with an added emphasis on rebounding. Combine that with the team’s strong defensive performance, and for the second game in a row, Georgetown held their opponent to under 10 field goals in the second half, this time allowing Marquette just seven.

On the other end of the floor, shots still were not falling from the outside, but the Hoyas were able to use their defense to create offense, scoring 11 points off turnovers after the break. Georgetown also got inside scoring from their big men and when fouled, the Hoyas were able to convert from to the free throw line, going 89% from the stripe. It seemed like the added focus and energy came from the defensive end in this game, as the more stops the team got, the more confident they were on offense. And, despite a few foolish turnovers as the team was trying to salt away the victory, Georgetown played pretty well down the stretch.

Two things about this streak stick out to me. First, Georgetown has been able to find a way to win when not playing perfect games. The Hoyas struggled shooting the ball, but were still able to keep the deficit manageable until other parts of their offense started clicking. Secondly, the Hoyas have been in a lot of close games, and down the stretch they have been able to hold on for wins. Granted, some of those games they let their opponents back into it, but still, in the clutch, the Hoyas have consistently made plays to earn victories. The ability to win games when things aren’t going your way and to close out tight games can be the difference between good teams and great teams.

Marquette:
Marquette was very successful in the first half, making the hustle plays to jump out in front. Almost half of the Golden Eagles’ first half points came from offensive rebounds or Georgetown turnovers, and they had 22 points in the paint before the break. However, in the second half the Hoyas turned up the intensity, fighting more for rebounds and loose balls, and making the inside baskets harder to come by. As a result, Marquette had only 10 points in the paint after halftime, and settled more for outside jumpers, of which they were only 2-12 from three-point range in the game. During a critical stretch, the Golden Eagles went over four minutes without a field goal, coinciding with Georgetown’s 11-2 run to take a ten point lead with under four minutes to play.

Players

Georgetown:
Chris Wright was the only Hoya making threes with consistency, going 4-5 from beyond the arc. The rest of the team was just 3-22 on threes, 13.6%. He ended the game with team-highs of 20 points and five assists. He still could take care of the ball a little better, as he had five turnovers, one coming on the press that allowed Marquette to cut the lead to three late in the game, with his next pass deflected and almost intercepted. But overall Chris had a very good game, and helped lead the Hoyas to another win.

Marquette
Darius Johnson-Odom had a team-high 20 points for the Golden Eagles and kept his team in the game for much of the second half. He scored 11 of the team’s 25 second half points, with the rest of Marquette making only three field goals in the second 20 minutes. However, his effort was not enough to pull out the win.

Coaches

The Hoyas were outrebounded in the first half 19-14 and gave up six offensive boards that led to 10 second chance points. At halftime, Coach Thompson put an emphasis on rebounding, and the team responded. After the break, the team was clearly more focused on hitting the glass, and the effort showed, as Georgetown grabbed three more rebounds than Marquette in the second half, and consistently outfought the Golden Eagles for loose balls. It was a very nice and very important adjustment made at halftime, and the coach deserves credit.

Number of the Game

12: Rebounds grabbed by Hollis Thompson in the second half. The Hoyas were outhustled on the boards in the first half. Hollis Thompson stepped up the intensity after the break, grabbing 12 of his career-high 13 rebounds. As a result, Marquette, which had 10 second chance points in the first half, were held without any in the second.

Playing Injured

With 90 seconds to go in the first half, there was a loose ball and a scrum to recover it. In the pile-up Austin Freeman injured his ankle, and left to go to the locker room. He did not start the second half, entered off the bench three minutes into the half. He played the rest of the game, scoring 8 of his 17 points after the break. However, he did not look 100%, missing some open shots badly, perhaps overcompensating for his ankle. It was a heroic effort for Freeman, who knows how much his presence means to the team. But, his status for Wednesday’s match-up against Connecticut is still up in the air, as how his ankle looks the day after will be the determining factor on whether he is available. All Georgetown fans hope that he will be.