The Georgetown men’s basketball team (13-8, 3-7 Big East) launched a valiant comeback bid but still fell short in Saturday’s 85-77 away loss to the Creighton Bluejays (17-5, 7-3 Big East). Freshman guard Jahvon Blair led the Hoyas in scoring with 21 points, including five three-pointers, while fellow first-year guard Jamorko Pickett notched six rebounds. With the win, Creighton remains undefeated at home and Georgetown falls to 3-3 on the road.
The game started well for the Hoyas. Midway through the first half, Georgetown sprung out to a 28-23 lead, with Blair and junior center Jessie Govan leading the way. Creighton, though, responded with force, going on a 23-5 run to close out the period and take a 13-point lead into halftime. Although Georgetown mounted a challenge at the beginning of the second half, the Hoyas were never able to fully recover. They came within one point of the Bluejays on a three-pointer from senior guard Jonathan Mulmore with 4:12 left to play before collapsing on defense and allowing Creighton to close out the game on a 17-10 run. Sophomore guard Jagan Mosely left the game late in the second half with a sprained ankle.
The Bluejays, led by senior guard Marcus Foster on offense, shot 52.9 percent from the field en route to scoring 80+ points for the 15th time this season. Freshman center Jacob Epperson made his Creighton debut, burning his redshirt with 13:39 left in the first half.
Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing lamented his side’s slow start but praised their effort and intensity after halftime. “We didn’t start the game out with the intensity and with the right frame of mind that I would have liked,” Ewing said in the postgame press conference. “In the second half, we came with a lot more intensity, a lot more effort, a lot more focus.”
Coach Ewing also highlighted the importance of maintaining possession in a close game. When asked what hurt the team the most during Creighton’s run to seal the game, Ewing responded, “Turnovers. Turnovers, you know, those hurt us.”
The Hoyas will look to rebound this upcoming Saturday as they play No. 8 Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. Follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter for live updates and breaking news.
