The heart-attack Hoyas are at it again. In only the season’s second game, Georgetown waited until the last second, literally, to take a lead, and eventually prevailed 79-78 over the Penn State Nittany Lions at State College, Pa. The early season match up against the perennial Big Ten cellar dwellers highlighted the early season schedule, in which the team has clawed its way to a 5-0 record. Most recently, the Hoyas used their new up-tempo approach to defeat Norfolk St. 76-53 last night at MCI Center.
The season opened with a commanding victory, their only thus far in the season, over lowly Grambling State. The final tally of 83-36 exemplified the blowout from its opening minutes when Georgetown streaked to a 15-0 lead. The team hardly cooled shooting 54% from the field and 50% from three-point range as sophomore guard Ashanti Cook showed command at setting the game’s pace, and dished out five assists in addition to four points.
” I have to look for other people first now,” Cook said. ” So it’s a little different for me . … When Ray and Matt come in it lets me look for myself more.”
Longtime friend and fellow starter Brandon Bowman added 12 points and roped in a team high eight rebounds, while senior co-captain Gerald Riley led all scorers with 24 points. The game also provided a valuable opportunity for Head Coach Craig Esherick to grade his first-year players in game action.
Georgetown had only two days after the Grambling massacre to prepare for their trip to Penn State; a team whose inside offense directly countered to the Hoyas’ fast-break wishes. The Hoyas struggled with the game’s flow early, missing 12 of their first 14 shots and watching the Lions open a 13-0 lead. In the early run, Penn State established a dominant inside game behind forwards Jan Jagla and Deforrest Riley. Jagla was too much for Georgetown to handle throughout, as he finished with a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds. It took the team the remainder of the half to regain their confidence, and they went to the half trailing 42-33. The Hoyas started the second stanza with a bang, as they broke into a 13-4 run and tied the game at 46-46. Bowman, who was held to a single basket in the first half, asserted himself on slashing drives and three-point shots, scoring 17 second-half points to finish with 19 in the game. Cook, who scored 17 points, and Bowman combined to make the key plays in Georgetown’s stretch run. Bowman pulled down three rebounds in the closing minutes and hit many difficult shots to keep the Hoyas in the game, but it was Cook who provided the contest’s biggest heroics in the final minute. With a three-point deficit and under a minute to play, Cook drilled a three pointer from the wing, tying the game at 77. After the shot Penn State drove the length of the floor and guard Brandon Cameron drew a critical foul with 2.2 seconds remaining. Cameron missed his first free throw but sank the second to give the Lions a one-point lead. With the game seemingly lost, Bowman rolled the ball in towards Cook to keep the clock from starting. As the ball reached Cook, Cameron inexplicably reached for a steal, colliding with Cook, and fouling the Hoyas’ guard with only 1.1 second left in the game. Cook coolly sank both free throws, and a Penn State inbound pass was deflected away, sealing the win for the Hoyas.
Georgetown followed their emotional last second victory with a shaky 81-68 win over the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Riley and Cook led all scorers with 16 points a piece, and first-year forward Ray Reed scored 14 points in the contest. A narrow three-point halftime lead and continued hustle by the tenacious Chanticleers left the Hoyas edgy. Only after a decisive Cook lay-up did Georgetown break away from their opponent.
The Hoyas again waited until late to close out a contest in a 63-54 win over the Delaware State Hornets on Saturday at the MCI Center. Bowman and senior co-captain Courtland Freeman were the team’s saviors, scoring a career high 30 and 13 points respectively.
Last night, the Hoyas again struggled out of the gate but shook off the rust in t he second half to beat the Norfolk St. Spartans 76-53. Riley rebounded from lackluster outings with a strong 25 point performance, and Bowman shipped in with 19. Cook became the first player to reach double digit rebounds in a single game this season.
“We were a completely different team in the second half,” Esherick said. ” Ray, Matt, and Ashanti can all get a lot of rebounds for their size, so Ashanti’s performance doesn’t surprise me.”
The Hoyas return to MCI Center on Saturday to face the Davidson Wildcats. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
