There are few things better than knocking off the nation’s No. 1 team, but in the world of Hoya basketball, beating archrival Syracuse is of even greater significance. Last Saturday, on Senior Day, No. 20 Georgetown did just that, squeezing the visiting Orange 68-53 at the MCI Center.
“The Duke win was nice. This was nicer,” Head Coach John Thompson III said after the game. “This is Georgetown-Syracuse. That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “I feel glad for our seniors.”
The win snapped a five game losing streak to Syracuse (19-9, 7-7 BE) and gave this season’s senior class the first win of their careers against the Orange. The Hoyas (19-7, 10-5 BE) last defeated their rival on Feb. 24, 2002, 75-69.
“It’s a very big win,” sophomore forward Jeff Green said. “The [seniors] have been telling me every time we play [Syracuse], ‘We’ve never beat them, we’ve never beat them.’ So especially when it’s Senior Night it’s a good way to go out. I just really wanted it for them.”
Green showed his desire on the court to win this one for seniors Brandon Bowman (six points), Ashanti Cook (10 points, five rebounds), Darrel Owens (12 points), Amadou Kilkenny-Diaw and Ryan Beal. He poured in 18 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. Along with sophomore center Roy Hibbert (seven points, eight rebounds), Green focused on attacking the interior in Syracuse’s patented 2-3 zone defense, finding soft spots at the top of the key then driving to the lane or passing to an open teammate.
“Their zone is difficult,” Thompson said. “You are open for two seconds less than you are against other teams. You get the same looks, but they do such a good job of closing out that you’re not open for long. I thought we were pretty effective with those guys scoring and/or passing.”
Green got to the line 12 times on the afternoon and made one fewer free throw (eight), than the Orange attempted all game. His work inside also proved troublesome for junior forwards Terrence Roberts (two points, two rebounds) and Demetrius Nichols (nine points, two rebounds). One game after posting his seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds against then-No. 14 West Virginia, Roberts netted only two points to compliment two rebounds. With the big men in foul trouble all game, collecting three apiece in the first half, the Hoyas were able to take full advantage of their own size and dominate on the boards, chasing down 39 misses, including 17 on the offensive end.
“We got no help from them in the first half and we got less help in the second half,” Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim said. “They just never got into the game. From a rebounding standpoint and from an offensive standpoint, Terrence was never in the game at all. [Demetrius] looked good, but you can’t commit fouls.”
A shot clock discrepancy gave Georgetown a second chance to end the first half with some momentum in a close contest. First-year guard Jessie Sapp (five points) missed a long three, but Hibbert collected the rebound, put the ball in the hole and was fouled by Roberts to convert the traditional three-point play. The bucket gave the Hoyas a three-point edge heading into halftime.
Georgetown was just as impressive with its defensive effort, especially in the second half, where Syracuse never got to the line and only managed 23 points, their lowest output of the season. The Hoyas held senior sharpshooter Gerry McNamara to only eight points on three of 10 shooting and forced 11 turnovers, which led to 17 points at the other end.
See “Big squeeze” p. 14
When Cook flipped up and fell hard over McNamara with 16:55 remaining and the Hoyas clinging to a three-point lead, the 18,879 at the MCI Center held their collective breath. Cook, who was assigned the task of trailing the relentless and physical McNamara, had already suffered a blow to the nose and took awhile to get back on his feet in front of the Syracuse bench.
“I thought he was terrific chasing McNamara around all day today,” Thompson said. “He was exhausted, but he’s a senior. He was tough all afternoon. Even without the fall and smack, his effort and focus were terrific.”
They couldn’t have known it, but that play signaled the beginning of the end for the Orange, as Green promptly took a charge on Nichols, drawing his fourth foul, and then emphatically put back a sophomore guard Jonathan Wallace (10 points, five rebounds) miss and drew the foul, sinking the freebie and giving the Hoyas a 41-35 advantage. After an Owens three from the wing with 8:09 remaining, Georgetown was staked to its first double-digit lead and wouldn’t again be seriously threatened.
“I got scared. I didn’t know what to do,” Green said he thought when he saw his teammate hit the deck. “I just had to take it out on them. That’s when you saw me show a little bit of emotion.”
With 15 seconds to go, Kilkenny-Diaw and Beal checked in and Cook, Bowman and Owens came out to a standing ovation and embraced Thompson. This group of seniors has gone through a roller coaster ride during their time on the hilltop, enduring a losing season and a coaching change. Now this win has all but assured them of something else they have been without since 2001: an NCAA Tournament berth.
“We really wanted this one as a class,” Owens said. “Beating Syracuse for the first time as a group on Senior Day is pretty special. But we’re far from satisfied. We’ve got a week to get ready for South Florida, the Big East tournament and beyond.”
The Hoyas close out their regular season on Saturday, traveling to South Florida (6-22, 0-15 BE) for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Big East tournament begins March 8 at Madison Square Garden. Because of the Marquette loss last night, a Hoya win on Saturday would earn them a fourth seed and a bye for the first round of the Big East Tournament.
