Georgetown men’s basketball (14-8, 5-6 BIG EAST) won a tight contest against the Butler Bulldogs (9-13, 2-9 BIG EAST) 73-70 at Capital One Arena on Jan. 31. Without junior guard Jayden Epps, and in desperate need of a win, the Hoyas used a big second half to secure their fifth league win of the year.
Coming into this game, both teams needed a win, with the Hoyas having lost five of their last six games and the Bulldogs having lost 11 of their last 13. In the first half, both teams played like squads eager for victory.
The first half featured numerous lead-changes and ties in a period where neither team could seem to gain much advantage. In a do-or-die situation, the Hoyas immediately went to what works best, with freshman forward Thomas Sorber getting the last touch on each of Georgetown’s first three possessions, as the Hoyas mounted an early 12-7 lead going into the under-16 media timeout. Butler wouldn’t make it that easy for Georgetown, though, as the Bulldogs made a quick 5-0 run, led by sophomore guard Finley Bizjack, to even the score out of the break.
Photo by Daniel Rankin
This game then *largely* turned into a “battle of the bigs” for the rest of the half with Butler fifth-year forward Andre Screen going to battle with Sorber and Georgetown sophomore forward Drew Fielder. After the Bulldogs took a 18-13 lead early in the first half, no team led by more than a possession for the rest of the period. As the half wore on, the teams’ other stars got involved, too, with Georgetown graduate guard Micah Peavy, Butler fifth-year guard Jamyl Telfort, and senior Pierre Brooks II getting going late.
By the time the game reached half, the score held at 37-36 Butler. Peavy led the game with 11 points with Sorber chipping in 10. Screen led the Bulldogs with 10.
The second half started mostly as the first ended, at least until Sorber re-imposed his will in the paint, sparking a Hoyas kill shot (13-0 run) which forced a Butler timeout and Georgetown now up 53-44. Unfortunately for the Hoyas though, Sorber headed to the bench halfway through the run with an apparent injury to his face. The Hoya run extended another two points out of the break before Butler would get back on the board.
The Bulldogs would respond though, scoring on consecutive possessions to cut the lead to six, but Sorber’s return to court helped spoil any Butler fun, immediately getting to the line on the offensive end, and forcing the game back to its back-and-forth nature. By the under-8 timeout, the Hoyas led 60-53.
In the final eight minutes of action, Peavy took the offensive burden for the Hoyas, hitting the offensive boards and putting back misses. However, Brooks and Bizjack didn’t let the Bulldogs fall out of the game yet. They matched Peavy’s effort on the other end, keeping Butler in striking distance during the game’s waning minutes, primarily by getting to the rim. With less than 100 ticks left in the game, a corner three brought the Bulldogs within a possession, 66-63.
Photo by Daniel Rankin
It would be for naught though, as the Hoyas finally shut the door via the free throw line in the final minute, winning by a final score of 73-70.
Peavy and Sorber led the Hoyas with 19 points a piece, and sophomore guard Malik Mack chipped in a major 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists of his own. Screen led the Bulldogs with 16.
Next, the Hoyas continue down the stretch of conference play, heading on the road Feb. 4 to take on the reborn Xavier Musketeers (13-9, 5-6 BIG EAST) at 8:30 p.m. EST. For continued coverage and updates on Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
