Now that’s more like it.
After limping through their season opener, a Georgetown squad without star forward Otto Porter Jr. (2-0, 0-0 Big East) defeated Liberty (0-3) 68-59 at the Verizon Center in the regional round of the Legends Classic. The Hoyas were led by sophomore forward Greg Whittington, who did his best Porter Jr. impression with a career-high 18 points to go with 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
Sophomore center Mikael Hopkins and junior forward Nate Lubick added 13 points each against an undersized Liberty squad. Freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera continued his impressive start to his Georgetown career, recording 11 points in Porter Jr.’s absence. The sophomore was held out of the contest because of a mild concussion sustained in the season opener against Duquesne.
The final score isn’t quite indicative of a game that was decided early, even though the Hoyas struggled to close out the Flames from behind the arc. Liberty shot a sizzling 52.6 percent from three-point range to keep themselves within striking distance.
“We are [usually] a good three-point defensive team,” Head Coach John Thompson III said. “That was not the case there. They got Sundays down at the park shots and they went in.”
Despite their inefficiency closing out of on the perimeter, the Hoyas attacked Liberty on each end of the floor. After initially falling behind 4-0, Georgetown used a suffocating press to go on a 17-0 run highlighted by 7 points from Lubick.
The Hoyas would allow the Flames to shrink their lead to seven points, but Georgetown would extend its lead to 16 points, 41-25, before halftime. Freshman forward Stephen Domingo would score four points, good for his first two collegiate field goals, while Whittington registered 14 of his 18 points in the frame.
The Hoyas continued to increase their lead in the second half, capturing a seemingly insurmountable 56-35 lead eight minutes into the second half. Liberty, however, refused to give in as their three point shooting kept them in the game. They would eventually cut the score to 65-52 with 2:32 remaining in the game.
“[Liberty] played extremely hard,” Thompson said. “That team could have come in here hanging their heads and they didn’t. They fought and they scrapped.”
Following a career-high in rebounds in the season opener, Whittington made sure the Hoyas didn’t face another nail-biter, posting the highest point total of his career with an array of mid-range jumpers and inside moves. Typically relegated to perimeter shots, the sophomore was forced to fill in with an all-around game, boding well for when Porter Jr. eventually returns to action.
“Greg can do a lot of different things. He has that responsibility/burden to do a lot of different things,” Thompson said. “I don’t think it’s any surprise to look and see that he scored points today, no more than it was a surprise that he had 15 rebounds last game.”
Thompson and the players recognized that their defense allowed Liberty to shoot 42.9 percent from the field, an alarmingly high total considering the height disparity. One of the ways it must improve in this regard is through player communication. Whittington, Thompson said, will be key.
“I thought our communication on defense was not good,” Thompson said. “[Whittington] has a very good feel. He knows what he should be doing and what everyone else should be doing. That’s something he has to do also.”
The sophomore certainly wasn’t without help last night; in addition to his 13 points, Lubick grabbed 8 rebounds and recorded 2 assists. He emphasized that his role in this defense as a leader needed to improve. He also stressed that the team’s aggression needs to be better.
“We use these games to find ourselves, to find out what this team’s identity is going to be,” Lubick said. “We have to go into each game acting like it’s the last game we are going to play. I think we have struggled to do that the last few games.”
As for Porter Jr., his status is unknown for the next game. Thompson did not know either way but hinted that the Missouri native – who warmed up before the game and was a demonstrative cheerleader on the sidelines during – was doing well.
“I think he is coming along fine,” Thompson said. “He is progressing. It is mild, it is not serious.”
No matter what, though, Thompson recognizes that this young Hoya team needs to perform with or without Porter Jr.
“Yes, he is one of the key members of our team,” Thompson said. “Regardless of who is in foul trouble or injured. We have enough other people in that room. We have to step up and figure it out.”
Next Monday, Georgetown continues their Legends Classic slate during a pivotal matchup with No. 13 UCLA. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. at the brand-new Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
