The rest paid off. Eight days after the last of three middling wins against lesser conference lights, Georgetown routed St. John’s Wednesday night, avenging a road loss three weeks earlier. The Hoyas put together their best basketball of the new year during a 10-minute stretch in the second half, locking down the Red Storm on defense while pushing the pace on offense. By suffocating the St. John’s attack, the Hoyas turned a game still in doubt into a surprising blowout, and reminded themselves, their fans, and the competition how dangerous they can be. Some thoughts from the game:
- Player of the Game. This was one of the Hoyas’ most balanced efforts in a while, making the selection of any one player more difficult. Jason Clark led the Hoyas with 16 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including all 3 from deep, a welcome sight for Hoya fans worried about Clark’s shooting woes. Hollis Thompson, coming off the bench as JTIII started Nate Lubick, responded favorably to the new sixth man role, scoring 15 on near-perfect 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from the line, while snaring 6 boards. But Wednesday’s game stood out for the Hoyas’ collective efforts, most notably manifested in their 21 assists (led by Chris Wright’s 6) on 26 made baskets.
- Key Stretch. The Red Storm had winnowed a 13-point halftime deficit to just 5 early in the second half, and the margin was still just 45-39 with just under 15 minutes to play. They appeared reenergized and refocused after the Hoyas closed out the first half in emphatic fashion. But between roughly the 14 and 4 minute marks of the second half, Georgetown locked down the Red Storm on defense, yielding just 2 St. John’s field goals on 13 attempts. The Hoyas forced three turnovers during the cold snap, but more notable was the Hoyas’ return to defensive form, staying in front of ball handlers, contesting shots, and forcing bad decisions. All the while, Georgetown was pushing the offensive pace, with six different Hoyas chipping in points. By the time St. John’s scored again, only 4 minutes remained and the Hoyas were up 24.
- Key Stretch (Short Run Division). Georgetown closed out the first half with an impressive 10-0 run just when St. John’s was threatening. The run started with Wright burying an open three, a welcome sight for Hoyas fans, followed by emphatic dunks by both Henry Sims (4 pts, 2 rebs) and Thompson, whose two-handed flush while absorbing contact, followed by hanging on the rim to avoid a dangerous fall, was the signature highlight of the night. After Thompson completed the three-point play and stole the ball back, Wright hit a hanging jumper in the lane to put the Hoyas up 13.
- Stat that Matters. 33.9. That was the Red Storm’s average from the field, the result of the best defense Georgetown’s played in conference and the lowest point total to which they’ve held an opponent this season. The best team so fthe JTIII era have thrived on defense as much as their signature offense: the 2006-2008 teams were 38th, 20th, and 6th in defensive efficiency, respectively. Of course, Roy Hibbert ain’t walking through that door, but Wednesday’s defensive dominance was an impressive development.
- Trend that Matters. In games in which the Hoyas have struggled in half-court sets, the ball tends to move around the perimeter without ever reaching the corner (the territory of Thompson and, to a lesser degree, Freeman) or coming within the arc. In other words, the ball stays far from the basket, not exactly a threatening position. While Georgetown’s offense isn’t exactly predicated on the dribble-drive, some movement toward the hoop is necessary to free up outside opportunities. Wednesday, Wright, Thompson, and Clark in particular used shot fakes and drives to open up mid-range shots which, in turn, loosened up the three-point arc as the game wore on.
- Cause for Concern. Defensive rebounding. The Hoyas have yielded double-figure offensive rebounds in six of eight Big East games thus far, with only the Pittsburgh debacle (7) and the first St. John’s game (9) as exceptions. Wednesday, the Johnnies’ 10 captures of their own misses loomed as a rare negative in an otherwise impressive rout.
- Reason for Hope. Turnover margin. Sure, St. John’s forced 14 turnovers while committing 13, but the Hoyas will win most games in which they give the ball up just once more than their opponent. In the first game, Georgetown had a -9 turnover margin, and all the extra possessions eventually proved decisive. If Georgetown can limit unforced errors, its efficient shooting will make the difference.
- Conclusion. One sign of the broken slump (and the inspiration for the headline above) was that Hoyas bested the Johnnies by as much as they had beaten DePaul, Rutgers, and Seton Hall combined. It was great to see Georgetown in the open court, sharing the ball with ease, but even better to see the tenacious defense that’s been lacking for much of this season, let alone the two past. Saturday, they’ll have another tough test, traveling to Philadelphia to face a top-10 Villanova team coming off a tough loss to a scrappy Providence squad. A preview of that game will follow tomorrow; in the meantime, check out the box score here.
