For the Georgetown men’s basketball team (10-8 overall, 2-6 Big East), the story is all too familiar: Junior power forward Mike Sweetney has an All-American-caliber game, but the Hoyas still lose in frustrating fashion.
This scenario held true this week as Georgetown lost at No. 19 Syracuse (15-3 overall, 6-2 Big East) 88-80 Monday and at No. 10 Notre Dame (18-4 overall, 6-2 Big East) 93-92 in double-overtime Saturday. Georgetown has lost six out of its last seven games and is winless on the road.
“When you’re losing close games there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Georgetown Head Coach Craig Esherick after the Syracuse loss. “I don’t know when I’m going to see the light, but I much prefer to lose close games than losing by 30 points.”
Against the rival Orangemen, the Hoyas were able to keep the game close for the first three quarters of it, but ran out of steam in the last 10 minutes. In the first half, Syracuse first-year guards Gerry McNamara and Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year Carmelo Anthony sparked the Orangemen during an 11-2 run that included a pair of threes by Anthony and another by McNamara, putting the Orangemen up 36-25 with nine minutes left in the half. The Hoyas battled back to cut the lead to six at the break, 42-36.
The second half began with both teams trading punches until finally Georgetown pushed for the upper-hand. Sweetney was consistently unstoppable, not only in the paint, but also hitting jumpers from the baseline and foul line. Junior swingman Gerald Riley and sophomore guard Tony Bethel hit consecutive three pointers to give the Hoyas a 56-55 lead with 12:27 remaining. Then Orangemen sophomore forward Hakim Warrick sparked a decisive rally, scoring eight straight points, including two consecutive three-point plays, to push Syracuse ahead 69-59 with 8:16 left.
“Hakim had that one stretch that broke the game open,” said Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim. “He got us going in the second half with that huge run and made some big-time plays.”
After Warrick’s spurt, Georgetown never seriously challenged again. Although a Bethel drive and layup cut the lead to six with five minutes remaining, the Orangemen hit 14 straight foul shots in the last four minutes to put the game away.
“[Foul shooting] saved us tonight,” said McNamara. “It was a key factor in the game.”
Sweetney led Georgetown with 32 points and 13 rebounds, but his remarkable play could not overcome the Hoyas lackluster defensive showing, especially in the last 10 minutes: five Orangemen scored in double figures including 22 apiece from Anthony and McNamara.
“We’re not getting out there [on defense] like we should,” said Sweetney. “Too many people are wide open.”
Senior forward Victor Samnick played well for the Hoyas, starting in place of injured senior center Wesley Wilson, who sat out the game because of a back injury suffered in Sunday’s practice. Wilson’s future availability is uncertain.
Despite the loss on Monday, nothing epitomized the Hoyas’ season to this point like Saturday’s double-overtime loss to Notre Dame.
After Notre Dame senior forward Matt Carroll hit two straight three-pointers with 14 minutes remaining in the game to give the Irish a 55-40 lead, Georgetown, put on a remarkable display of its capabilities, just as it did in games earlier this year against St. John’s and No. 4 Pittsburgh,. Buoyed by Sweetney’s domination in the paint, scoring 11 points in the next 10 minutes, the Hoyas took a 66-65 lead with 3:10 left on a Samnick jumper. The teams battled to a stalemate with the scored tied at 69, but the Hoyas had the ball with 15.4 seconds remaining and called a time-out, which gave the Irish a chance to set up a stifling 2-3 zone. Sophomore guard Darrell Owens, Riley and first-year forward Brandon Bowman dribbled the ball along the perimeter and Georgetown didn’t even take a shot as time ran out.
“We ran a motion offense play and tried to get the ball into Mike Sweetney. Clearly we didn’t do that, and we didn’t get a shot off,” said Esherick.
In the first overtime, the Hoyas trailed by three with nine seconds left after two Carroll free-throws. Hoyas sophomore guard Drew Hall, normally a 20 percent three-point shooter, frantically dribbled down court and hit a three over two Notre Dame players with 4.4 seconds left, taking the game to a second overtime tied at 82.
Like the first overtime, the second was close the whole way. After two Hall free throws tied the game at 92 with 10.9 seconds left, Irish junior guard Torrian Jones drove the length of the court and was fouled with 5.5 seconds left, hitting one of two free throws. Hall subsequently pushed the ball forward, but shot from almost midcourt, despite having three seconds left on the clock. The ball clanged off the backboard and rim and the Irish had a 93-92 win.
“I don’t think this team deserves this,” said Hall. “We worked so hard. It’s the fifth game we’ve played a ranked team and been so close without a win.”
Again Sweetney was the catalyst for the Hoyas. He scored a career-high 38 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and played 47 minutes because of foul trouble to Wilson.
“I don’t think we wasted Mike’s effort just because we lost,” said Esherick. “He played a great game, and everyone could see that.”
The two losses this week drop the Hoyas to sixth place in the Big East West Division and four games under .500 in the Big East for the first time since the 1999-2000 season, Esherick’s first full season as coach. In the Hoyas last seven games, of which they lost six, Sweetney has averaged 24.6 points and 10.6 rebounds.
The Hoyas next game is Saturday at home against UCLA (4-14 overall, 2-8 Pac-10) at 1 p.m. and it could not come at a better time. Even with Georgetown’s struggles, the Bruins’ season has been much worse.
The game may be the Hoyas last chance at turning around the season.
“We’ve both lost some real close games,” said UCLA Assistant Coach Jim Saia. “I think both teams are still fighting and playing hard.”
