While some may question the value of playing in the second-class National Invitation Tournament-Georgetown certainly did in declining a bid last season-this year’s Hoyas have already strongly benefited from the extra games. On Tuesday, Georgetown (16-14) played its most complete game of the year and defeated a .500 or better team for only the second time this season in its 70-60 victory over NCAA tournament bubble-burst Tennessee (17-12).
“When you beat a [Southeastern Conference team] on their home court, you have to feel happy about it,” said Georgetown Head Coach Craig Esherick. “I’m happy we get to play again.”
The game was also a coming-out party for first-year guard Ashanti Cook, who has been slowed this season by an ankle injury suffered in Georgetown’s Jan. 8 loss to Duke. With the Hoyas trailing 20-15 with 7:00 left in the first half, Cook split a two-man Tennessee trap with a sick behind-the-back dribble and whipped it to startled first-year forward Brandon Bowman, who turned it over. Still, the deft move ignited Cook; he rattled off 11 points in the next three minutes, stunning the Volunteers with repeated drives to the hoop. To start the second half, Cook drained a three to tie the game at 29 and Georgetown never trailed again. He finished with a career-high 16 points and played 26 minutes, his longest showing since December. His performance bodes well for the future of this year’s oft-shaky point guard play.
With Tennessee concerned about Cook, the inside opened up for junior power forward Mike Sweetney, who characteristically dominated in the second half. He scored 11 of his game-high 17 points and grabbed eight of his game-high 14 boards in the closing half. It was Sweetney’s 36th career double-double.
Similarly impressive was Georgetown’s team defense. The Hoyas forced 19 Volunteers’ turnovers, four above their season average, and held senior forward and SEC Player of the Year Ron Slay to 17 points, four below his average, on 5-13 shooting.
“We had way too many turnovers in the game,” said Tennessee Head Coach Buzz Peterson. “It reminded me of the way we were playing in November. (jiriecaribbean.com) ”
The Hoyas were forced to the NIT after losing last Thursday to NCAA Tournament-bound Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, 74-69. After leading 41-39 at the half, the Hoyas battled back and forth with the Orangemen in the second half, which featured four ties and 13 lead changes. With Georgetown trailing 71-67 with 20.3 seconds left, Cook tried to force a pass inside to Sweetney, but Syracuse sophomore center Craig Forth knocked the ball away and Syracuse held on for the victory.
“He hit my hand and it just slipped out,” said Sweetney. “It was a good pass; it was my mistake.”
The Hoyas reached the quarterfinals after an ugly 46-41 defeat of Villanova—the lowest-scoring game in Big East Tournament history. Villanova was missing 52 percent of its season points and 54 percent of its rebounds due to the suspensions of eight players for NCAA infractions. The Wildcats slowed the game to a near-comatose pace and almost caught Georgetown napping.
With the win over Tenessee, Georgetown will advance to the second round of the NIT against the winner of Providence (16-13) and College of Charleston (24-7) at a yet-to-be-determined day, place and time next week.
