After a disappointing 73-69 home loss to Butler (14-10, 5-6 Big East) on Saturday, the Georgetown men’s basketball team (15-9, 5-6 Big East) will look to regroup and come out with a victory in another pivotal conference battle with Seton Hall (14-9, 5-6 Big East) on Wednesday. The Hoyas and Pirates are two of five teams currently tied for third place in the Big East standings behind Villanova (19-5, 10-1 Big East) and Marquette (20-4, 9-2 Big East). Tip-off in Newark, NJ is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 with live stats available at guhoyas.com.
In their matchup with the Bulldogs, the Hoyas relinquished their lead midway through the first half and failed to catch up for the remainder of the game, though they kept it close throughout. Despite the loss, freshman guard Mac McClung was able to find success on the offensive end, notching his highest point total in four games with 21 points. McClung was named Big East Freshman of the Week for the second time this year. Meanwhile sophomore guard/forward Jamorko Pickett had his second straight strong offensive showing with three 3-pointers and 18 points. In contrast, senior center Jessie Govan was held in check, converting just two field goals on the afternoon. Govan, Georgetown’s leading scorer, has struggled in recently with just 25 combined points over the last three games.
The Pirates also played on Saturday, triumphing 63-58 over Creighton (13-11, 4-7 Big East) at home. Junior guard Myles Powell, the conference’s second-leading scorer, was effective again against the Bluejays, scoring 22 points including a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. The Pirates’ defensive effort won them the game, as they held a conference opponent under 60 points for the first time this season. Their defense on Creighton’s season leading scorer, sophomore guard Ty-Shon Alexander, was especially impressive, holding him to just 3-of-14 from the field.
McClung and freshman guard James Akinjo will be tasked with containing Powell, with Pickett likely providing some defensive cover, as well. Down low, expect a physical battle between Pirates sophomore forward Sandro Mamukelashvili and a motivated Govan looking to reassert himself.
This is the first matchup between these teams this season with the Pirates making the trip to DC on March 2. Last season, they split the series, with the home team winning both times. Seton Hall has been Georgetown’s most frequent opponent in program history with the Blue and Gray holding the all-time advantage, 57-42.
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