Following back-to-back losses, the Georgetown men’s basketball team (7-3, Big East) will look to regroup against Appalachian State (4-6, Sun Belt) on Tuesday at Capital One Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on FS1 with live stats available at guhoyas.com.
Georgetown’s last game was a difficult 81-73 home loss to Southern Methodist (7-4, American) on Saturday. The Hoyas were the better team early on, but gave up their lead midway through the first half and never found their way back. Despite the loss, senior center Jessie Govan had another solid outing, notching his 19th straight game in double figure scoring with 17 points, including two 3-pointers. Freshman guard James Akinjo chipped in 16 points and a career-high seven rebounds.
After combining for 182 points in their previous two outings, Appalachian State had a season-low 69 points in their loss to South Florida (7-2, American) on Saturday. Senior guard Ronshad Shabazz was impressive with 29 points to lead the Mountaineers, but his backcourt mate, sophomore guard Justin Forrest, was his only teammate in double-digit scoring. Throughout the season, Shabazz and Forrest have been the team’s biggest contributors on offense with 19.3 and 17.7 points per game, respectively.
Containing opposing guards has been an issue for Georgetown this season and that trend continued on Saturday as SMU’s senior guard duo of Jahmal McMurray and Nat Dixon combined for seven 3-pointers. It will be up to Akinjo, freshman guard Mac McClung, and the rest of Georgetown’s perimeter players to keep Shabazz and Forrest from getting hot.
Govan could be in for a another big game against the Mountaineers, as he boasts a two-inch size advantage over Appalachian State’s starting forwards, junior Isaac Johnson and redshirt junior Hunter Seacat. So far, Govan has had the best statistical season of his college career, boasting averages of 19.5 points and eight rebounds per game. He places in the top five in the Big East in both categories. Govan has also been terrific from beyond the arc, where he has made six 3-pointers in his last three games and converted 46.7 percent on the season.
Conspicuously absent from Georgetown’s lineup on Saturday was sophomore guard Jamorko Pickett who did not play due to a coach’s decision. Pickett’s scoring average is down four points from last year, but he has been bright in other areas including efficiency. His field goal percentage is up from 36.3 percent last season to 41.9 percent this year.
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