Georgetown dominated Wofford physically in the semifinals of the Charleston Classic on Friday, owning the boards and the paint en route to a 74-59 victory. The Hoyas boasted a +16 rebounding margin and a nearly 20-point advantage in the point, while holding the Terriers to just 34% from the field. Georgetown came out of the gates blazing, scoring the game’s first nine points and never letting their lead shrink below five, refusing to let a tough Wofford squad hang around. For a team charicatured as guard-only, the Hoyas’ control of the interior was particularly impressive.
While previous games have featured one or two Hoya stars, Friday’s effort was a balanced one. Chris Wright had the most impressive individual performance, scoring 18 points to go with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. But contributions came from every Hoya. Julian Vaughn chipped in 12 points while hauling down 10 rebounds and blocking 4 shots. Austin Freeman had a fairly quiet and efficient 14 points. Henry Sims helped with a welcome 6 points and 5 rebounds, becoming an ever-more-reliable rotation player, Hollis Thompson scored 9 points while contributing in several other categories, and Jason Clark scored the game’s first five points to spur the quick Hoya start. Some post-game thoughts:
- Hero. Tough to choose with such a balanced effort, but Vaughn’s 12, 10, and 4 stands out, particularly in light of the three guards’ domination of this category to date. Runner up: Wright, who has been handling the point guard (and not just lead guard) duties seamlessly.
- Goat. Again, the broadcast! First, the Old Dominion game looks like it was shot by the cameraman from The Blair Witch Project, then the ESPN3 crew fumbles the Tulane game. Now, we have to miss the first eight minutes-plus of the Georgetown-Wofford game, waiting for the West Virginia-Vanderbilt game to wrap up. Bring on conference play, please.
- Crucial Stretch. After Wofford repeatedly cut the Hoya lead to five, for the last time at 50-45, the Hoyas went on a 15-5 run, starting with a Sims lay-up and concluding with a three by Markel Starks, bookends that were emblematic of the Hoyas’ collective effort.
- Cause for Concern. The lapses. While Georgetown has beaten each of its last three foes handily, it has let each back in the game after building double-digit lead. The big leads will not come so easily as the schedule becomes more difficult, and the Hoyas must also stiffen their resolve in between offensive bursts. (Dis)Honorable mention: foul trouble. For the second straight game, the Hoyas kept an otherwise beaten team within striking distance by sending the opponent to the line.
- Reason for Optimism. Thompson’s all-around excellence, which included a season-high 9 points, as well as 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. While Thompson has not had a breakout game yet this year, he seem to be improving with each game. Honorable mention: Henry Sims, who had his most effective game of the season and seems to be finding his spot as Vaughn’s back-up.
- Telling Stat. Hoyas, 36-20 on the boards. Honorable mention: the Hoyas’ 57.2% field goal percentage, which pushed their season field goal percentage about 50. Georgetown’s shooting accuracy has been all the more impressive considering that more than 40% of their shots have come from behind the arc.
- Conclusion. This was another more-up-than-down game for the Hoyas, dispatching a decent but not great opponent with relative, but not complete, ease. Georgetown spread the wealth offensively while giving the Terriers few second chances. The Hoyas played a very different game than against Coastal Carolina, relying on interior scoring and stout defense instead of long-range accuracy, but achieved the same impressive result. They’ll put their perfect 4-0 mark Sunday at 7:30 against NC State, their first major-conference opponent of the season. You can watch that game on ESPNU; a preview follows Saturday.
