NEW YORK — A fast start from an unheralded Hoya prevented the start of the Georgetown men’s basketball season from sinking into an unknown abyss.
Junior forward Reggie Cameron’s career-high 14 points, all of which came in the first half, helped the Georgetown men’s basketball team (1-2, Big East) avoid their first 0-3 start in program history, as they defeated Wisconsin (2-2, Big Ten) 71-61 in the semifinals of the 2K Classic.
Sophomore forward Isaac Copeland added 15 points and eight rebounds, freshman center Jessie Govan had 13 points, and the Hoyas shot 20-of-24 from the free-throw line in the second half to earn their first win of the 2015-16 season.
“We were just really ready to get out there and play today,” said Cameron. “Our whole team was excited. We all wanted to get out there and contribute and everybody did that today. “
Cameron nearly matched his season total in three-pointers last season (5) in the first half Friday night. The Hackensack, N.J. native who played high school basketball at nearby Hudson Catholic of Jersey City, shot 4-of-5 from three-point range en route to surpassing his career-high of 13 points scored against Xavier in Jan. of 2014.
Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III was not surprised by Cameron’s performance offensively, but was pleased with the contributions he made on defense. The junior forward had two steals and drew multiple offensive foul calls on Wisconsin for charge calls.
“That’s what Reggie Cameron does. He make shots,” said Thompson. “He was very good on defense for a lot of the plays when we needed stops and needed deflections and him taking charge.”
Notwithstanding the play of Cameron, the first half was deprived of much positives for both teams, as Georgetown entered halftime with an ugly 27-22 lead. The Hoyas shot 36 percent from the field, while the Badgers converted only 30 percent in a sloppy half that saw numerous missed opportunities.
Thanks to 56 percent shooting from the floor in the second half, however, the Hoyas never looked back from their halftime lead, building it to as many as 14 points with 4:34 left. Clutch free-throw shooting, especially from Govan, senior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, and sophomore guard L.J. Peak (combined 18-of-22) never allowed the Badgers to get back in the game. Georgetown held Wisconsin to 32 percent shooting overall.
“They packed the paint extremely well,” said Wisconsin junior guard Nigel Hayes of the Hoyas’ defensive effort. “I guess it was one of their priorities to make sure that they packed the paint and we weren’t able to shoot that high percent.”
Hayes had 22 points off 7-of-17 shooting and redshirt freshman forward Ethan Happ notched a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) to lead the way for the Badgers in their losing effort.
While the win meant a lot for Georgetown after a tumultuous week that included losses to Radford and No. 3 Maryland, it also alleviated the pain left from last year’s close 68-65 loss to Wisconsin in the semifinal of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. Revenge was on the minds of the returning Hoyas from last year’s team.
“I think it’s meant a lot for us right now. But I think going back to last season we lost a tough game versus Wisconsin last season in the Bahamas,” said Cameron. “The guys that were part of that last year wanted to come out and get a W.”
The Hoyas will return to action this Sunday when they face Duke (3-1, ACC) in the 2K Classic Final at 1:00 p.m. It will be another difficult test for the Hoyas in the early part of their season.
“We’re looking for wins. We have to do better than what we have so far,” said Thompson. “But at the same time, I think we have a young team. There’s room for growth and hopefully we grow up.”
The Voice will continue to be in New York this weekend to cover Georgetown’s final game in the 2K Classic. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @GUVoiceSports for our live tweets and coverage leading up to, during, and after the games
