The Georgetown men’s basketball team travelled to Miami last Saturday in desperate need of a conference win. Their test would come against a Hurricanes team that had been peaking recently and has played well at their rowdy home, the Convocation Center, since it was opened last season. With hope for the rest of the season resting on a tough conference road win, which the team hadn’t collected in nearly a year, optimism was muted.
Yet the Hoyas surprised their critics by pulling out a close win on the road. Keyed by super-human performances by senior guard Gerald Riley and sophomore forward Brandon Bowman, Georgetown pulled away in overtime to improve their record to 12-5 and 3-4 in conference. Riley sent in a career-high 35 points, continuing a recent shooting surge. The guard shot 76.4 percent from the field, with 60 percent from three-point range and 100 percent from the free-throw stripe. “I had to get going,” Riley said. “My teammates were able to get me shots, and I got good ones.”
Bowman served as Robin to Riley’s Batman, knocking home 22 points and gathering a team-high eight rebounds while playing all 45 minutes of the game. Junior guard Darrel Owens also continued his season-long surge by hitting on six of his 12 shots and finishing with 14 total points.
“The players knew we needed a win,” coach Craig Esherick said. ” … It was big.”
The first half saw was a back-and-forth affair with both teams starting brief runs, but unable to assert control over the game. After falling behind by seven on early hot shooting by the Hurricanes, the Hoyas answered with a powerful 14 point run that left Miami shell-shocked. The shock didn’t last, however, as Miami responded following a timeout and gradually worked the game towards its eventual 29-29 halftime tie.
Halfway through the second half it appeared that the Hoyas would be left behind by a long Miami run. Hurricanes first-year Guillermo Diaz provided the impetus for two key plays in the run, beginning with an acrobatic shot while drawing a foul on Georgetown senior center Courtland Freeman. After hitting the free throw, Diaz connected again with a rare five point play only a minute later by hitting a three from the left corner of the court while Freeman committed an ill-advised foul while fighting for rebound position. The foul was Freeman’s third and sent him to the bench for a long stretch of the half, and sent Miami forward William Frisby to the line. While Frisby missed the first of a shot of a one-and-one, he converted a rebound off a missed offensive rebound to stretch the Hurricane lead to 12 with 10:25 left in regulation.
While down, the Hoyas proved that this team is never out of a game until the final whistle sounds. Georgetown used a resilient trapping defense to force eight turnovers in the final 10 minutes, and finally took a 69-68 lead, their first in the second half, on a Darrel Owens dunk with just over two minutes left in the game.
The Hoyas stretched the lead to three with under a minute to go, and the team seemed well on their way to the key win. But in the spirit of the teeter-totter game, the Hurricanes bounced back with some resilience and another clutch shot from star Darius Rice, who has made a name for himself with late baskets in big games. Over his career, Rice has hit five shots that either won a game or sent it into overtime.
Rice, who had been shut down throughout the game by Bowman’s and Owens’ tough defense, sank a game-tying three pointer with only seven seconds remaining in the game. While they got the ball for the final possession, the Hoyas were unable to get off a shot before time expired, and the team headed to its first overtime game of the season.
Georgetown entered the extra period with momentum seemingly turned against them, but the Hoyas came out with confidence and swagger, and hit each shot they attempted in the overtime. Miami had no answer for the shooting barrage, and the Hurricanes faded off into a seven point defeat.
The Hoyas shot an impressive 58.8 percent from the field, it’s best game of the season thus far. Georgetown also held the ‘Canes to just over 45 percent shooting on the game, an improvement over recent hot shooting opponents Duke and Providence.
The team has had a well needed rest heading into tonight’s game against fellow conference and Catholic foe Villanova. The Wildcats logged an impressive performance against number three St. Joseph’s on Monday, and seem primed for a win. Tip off at the MCI Center is set for 7 p.m.
