Hubris: Rutgers 71, Georgetown 68

Rutgers rode the hot hand of Jonathan Mitchell to a 71-68 upset of Georgetown Sunday.  Mitchell scored a career-high 24 (topping his previous career high, 21, which he netted against the Hoyas last month), helping the Scarlet Knights keep the Hoyas at bay just long enough to pull out the victory.

• Star–Mitchell.  The guy hit his first seven shots, include four from three.  His Pavlovian response to blue and gray is a bit irritating.
• Star (Georgetown edition) — Greg Monroe.  Another stellar output for the big man, including 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocks.
  
• Goat–Chris Wright.  It’s becoming a tired refrain, but as Wright goes, so go the Hoyas.  Sunday, it was 6 points on 2-of-8 shooting (with 2-of-4 from the line), including a missed 3 in the waning seconds that would have put the Hoyas ahead.  Wright has scored in single digits in each of the Hoyas’ six losses to date.
  
• Key sequence–Monroe made a nifty up-and-under with 52 seconds left to put the Hoyas ahead 66-65.  After a timeout, the Hoyas forced Mike Rosario into a tough shot, but then failed to box out freshman forward, Dane Miller (13 points, 10 rebounds) who banked the ball in what might generously be called a “tip.”  The bucket put Rutgers up 1 with 23 seconds remaining.  Georgetown worked the ball around the perimeter to Wright, who put up a 25-footer that erred long.  Miller made two free throws, followed by two Austin Freeman (17 points) free throws, followed by two more from Mitchell with 5 seconds remaining to make the margin 71-68.  Freeman launched a heavily contested 23-footer as time expired that was just long.
• Disturbing pattern–Well, there’s the losing to Rutgers part.  This is the Georgetown’s fourth loss to inferior teams; in each case, the Hoyas have failed to match the intensity of their foe.  It’s all fine and good that the Hoyas comes out breathing fire on national television, but they have to take care of business against the cellar dwellers as well.

The Hoyas return to action Thursday night against Syracuse.