Another game, another late collapse.
The Georgetown men’s basketball team (13-10, 3-9 Big East) fell 73-69 at Providence (16-8, 7-4 Big East) on Tuesday night. Junior center Jessie Govan led the Georgetown effort with 27 points and seven rebounds, while junior forward Marcus Derrickson contributed nine points and nine rebounds for the Hoyas, who saw a five-point lead evaporate within the final two minutes. Senior guard Jalen Lindsey scored 17 points while sophomore guard/forward Alpha Diallo added 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Friars, who used relentless ball pressure in the waning moments to come back against the Hoyas.
“It’s a learning experience but at some point you have to learn,” Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing said. “We can’t keep letting games slip away from us. It was a hard-fought game. Both teams played hard. I’m disappointed we didn’t win but you can’t take anything away from them.”
In the first half, Georgetown utilized crisp ball movement and an engaged Govan to shoot 51 percent from the field en route to a 42-40 lead at the break. The Hoyas led by as many as nine before the Friars uncorked a 11-4 run to close the half, which ended as a Govan three gave the Hoyas the edge at the buzzer. Besides Govan’s output, however, there was little offense generated, as the rest of the team combined to shoot 7-19. This theme would continue into the second half, as Govan would finish as the only Hoya in double figures.
Despite the Hoyas’ one-dimensional offense, Georgetown controlled the second half by holding the Friars to just 30 percent shooting and forcing turnovers down the stretch. Foul trouble, however, loomed large for Georgetown throughout the game, as four Hoyas finished with four or more fouls, including Derrickson, who fouled out with 3:19 remaining. The Friars also owned the advantage at the free throw line, shooting 24-33 to the Hoyas 15-24 at the stripe.
Similar to earlier collapses by the Hoyas, the team struggled to find its poise with a late lead. After Providence turned the ball over with 1:43 remaining, junior guard/forward Kaleb Johnson took a shot early in the possession, which triggered a Friars fast break. (https://www.creditcadabra.com) Senior guard Kyron Cartwright swung the ball to junior guard Isaiah Jackson, who nailed a wide-open three from the corner. Following the subsequent timeout, the Hoyas would wind the shot-clock down before Govan attempted a contested three, which the Friars rebounded and pushed down the floor. Diallo grabbed an offensive rebound off a miss and was promptly fouled. He would hit both free throws, setting up the Hoyas for a final possession in regulation.
After sophomore guard Jagan Mosely missed on a floater right of the lane, Cartwright skied for the rebound and was dragged down by Govan, who was whistled for his fourth foul. Cartwright hit both free throws, and Providence stole the ball on the ensuing inbounds to seal the Providence victory, and yet another late-game breakdown by Georgetown.
The Hoyas return to action Saturday at the Capital One Arena against Seton Hall (17-6, 6-4 Big East). Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network. Follow @GUVoiceSports for game day updates and breaking news.
